caring for veteran with ringbone

[AnyChance]

Hi, I am just wondering what others have experienced with their older horse, how they have improved/managed their horses with arthritis?
My 21 year old ex dressage horse had steroid injections in the coffin joint when he was around 12 and went on to compete to advanced medium level he retired at about 16 yrs of age due to other injury to his suspensory ligament in the field.
He is now 21 and lightly hacked and until recently lightly schooled.

However he has been showing signs of being uncomfortable especially downhill, in deep going and is now tripping regularly to the extent that when we were cantering in the school he fell on his knees. All these signs triggered me to get the vet (twice) to reassess his care.

The vet has suggested trying bute 1 per day after a loading dose, not riding him and in 2 weeks looking at him again to see if he is sound if not he is to be fully retired (Where i will then be found leading him round the lanes!).
The farrier is coming soon and I will ask about rolled toes to help with the breakover point.

I asked the vet if we should do x rays but he felt that really they were not going to show anything different that we didn't already know.

I need to get him on a supplement but ? which one

He is otherwise well in himself, very perky and interested in life generally and when turned out manages to gallop and buck in the field looking most agile!!

 

[chestnut cob]

If he was mine, at that age I would bute and hack lightly. My 17yo was buted and working up until retirement last year. Because of his arthritis (ringbone, sidebone, spavins), he needed work to keep him mobile and seized up without it, but he also needed regular bute to help keep him moving (bit of a catch 22).

 

[AnyChance]

Fingers crossed the bute will work as that is what i would like to do.

 

[iconique]

My old pony is now 30, has had diagnosed ringbone for the last 4 or so years. He also has artritis in other areas too. We did the X-rays but decided past this point there wasn't really a reason as angles change as the hoof grows. He has been on cartrophen jabs which have made a difference, but up until very recently he has had natural balance shoes to help with the tripping as it improves the break point. He is now recently barefoot but as we (farrier is part of this decision) feel that the shoe weight is starting to affect him.

He is not on bute, does go for little hacks out and must have his legs stretched daily, it's a careful balance of enough work vs not enough and too much!

We have used supplements in the past but he is historically lamanitic and has cushings, but is on Cush treat for that (chaste berry helps him for that) and we have to manage that too.

We also have a 23 yr old who is much the same but other issues, she still has natural balance shoes on and hacked out at a rate of notts last weekend. She is much the same as him.

Both are not on bute and I think that bute can mask lots and our thought s to manage first. You may find the natural balance shoes make a big enough difference, it was uncomfortable for them initially (bit like putting someone who never wears heels in them) but they adjusted quite quickly. It's our choice and the 23yr old has a history of liver issues so bute isn't really a good choice for her. Also full retirement (not able to turn out 24-7) isn't possible for our set up and our vet explained that the bone fuses and by working it stops it from building up, although in some cases can fuse totally.

Hope you find a workable solution!

 

[AnyChance]

Thanks for sharing Iconique, it sounds like you are managing your horses really well and you have found something that works for them. I am hoping the farrier will have some ideas to help him and will see if that helps to improve the stumbling.
My horse was barefoot for a few years, the back feet were fine but the front feet were very sensitive on the smallest gravel when hacking, we tried boots but his back feet kept stepping on his fronts he seemed a bit clumsy in them and they eventually fell apart and so the decision to go back to shoeing was made. Which did improve things he felt much more confident in his footing and comfortable hacking out.

I take your point about the bute but while he is lame at the moment I feel pain relief may not be a bad thing for him at the moment with a view to reducing it at a later point. Unfortunately this weather means he isn't getting out so perhaps won't help with any stiffness. Roll on some dry sunny weather.

I am hoping that with better weather, pain relief and shoeing things will improve for him.