Ringbone experiences please

[HelBel]

hello
my 7yr old IDX McCauly has been diagnosed with ringbone in both of his pasterns, he has had the steriod injection in one of them and is due for the other on friday, and has been fitted with bar-shoes today as advised by my vet to support him so his navicular is not affected by the weight shift caused by the ringbone. he is also on a corta-vet joint supplement.
im devastated by his diagnosis and had really high hopes for us, obviously his comfort is paramount and the vet did say excercise would be good for him as it would keep him moving, i understand jumping would possibly be ruled out but he was never a jumper anyway.
i was just posting to hear all of your personal experiences to do with horses with ringbone? wether a ridden career is possible or if my wonderful horse is destined as a field ornament?
thanks in advance
helen

 

[orsemad]

My 7yo eventer was diagnosed with ringbone. He was no longer able to jump but went to a wonderful hacking home. I think it depends on the situation and how bad it is. My boy didn't have it badly so i was lucky that he was still able to hack and do light dressage.
Good luck to you and im sorry to hear your news

 

[kirstyhen]

My horse has high non articular ringbone in his off hind. He has had two steriod injections since diagnosis, but it seem to have settled down and he is sound, although still slightly uneven.
He is still in full work, jumps, hunts etc. I dont trot much on roads or compete on hard ground, but thats it. He did his first BE yesterday, and is not even slightly stiff or have a hint of heat today!!
My vet said he would either be unrideble or capable of the same work. He also said there were lot of options before it came to that. It does depend on the severity and how it affects the joint.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Mine has been retired completely and LOU insurance.

She was diagnosed @ 9yrs old- Ringbone in both pasterns high and low.. unfort it was a downhill sprial for us after lots of injections etc she did come sound but the bones have fused in such a way that her foot joint doesnt move correctly so shes short strided almost.

Shes now mechanically lame but there is no way of riding her, shes a field ornament but i do hear lots of Ringbone Success stories!

 

[lennytheroofer]

Hi, my horse which is a 17.1hh ex racer 8years, has both high and low ringbone in both front legs. his joints were medicated in march and since he is hacked lightly (about 3 times a week) at the moment. i was gutted as only had him since last august. Hes on synaquin, devils claw - granules and corn oil - from tescos! ive found that he is better when he is out - at the moment hes out at night and in by day as hes quite a sensitive chap and just dosent do 24 hour turnout. When in also he has Bioflow magnetic boots on and to ride i do bandage his front legs for more support and apply cooling gel to his legs afterwards. Also at the yard where he is kept we have a walker which hes goes on if some reason hes in cause of our wonderful summer lol and copes with that fine. Any other questions fell free to contact myself, and keep youre chin up-i know what youre feeling like. email address is markhenton@hotmail.co.uk

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

My 16 year old IDx 15hh gelding was diagnosed with ringbone in 2005 just before HOYS. It was strange as you couldnt see the lameness unless you really really looked but he didnt feel right in walk. Trot seemed fine.
That summer he had won every show cob class he entered and three working hunters even managed to come 2nd in a open RC 3 day event! At the Championships in Sept 2005 he won so the judge cant have noticed anything but i still wasnt happy so we had the physio, the farrier, the dentist (had previously had issues solved by these 3) Nothing was found so i took him to the vet clinic for a full workup (as i had trotted him up for the vet in August when his annual jabs were due and he couldnt see anything) He flexion tested ok all round. I lunged him in the carpark and the vet thought he wasnt quite right on the off fore so started nerve blocking. He came sound (off fore)with a low pastern nerve block but was clearly lame on the near fore so into the Xray room and within 15 mins i was staring at pastern xrays with bone spurs all over the place- the vet was gobsmacked the horse was even field sound- never mind competing! He didnt think it would be long before he would go permanently lame and have to be PTS. I cried all the way home but we still made our HOYS date only a fortnight later-drug free- he was then injected with Adequan, put on a really expensive glucosamine supplement (cant remember name) and banned from doing anything on hard ground inc trotting on roads. We have spent the last 3 years pottering around the woods when the ground gets hard but on a surface or a Spring/Autumn sponsored ride we will jump everything and he is still a fabulous hunter who never misses his turn.Here he is at Halton, 18 months after initial diagnosis:

This carefully managed work is why my vet believes he is still with us and still rideable so like the Henmeister there is hope when it seems bleak.

ETS as i am rubbish with posting photos!

 

[HelBel]

thanks guys for all your experiences, nice to know im not the only one, we can only afford one horse and i would never sell him if he was retired so i'd really love to do some work with him, otherwise i wont be able to ride again, obviously i wont ride him if its uncomftable but it's such a shame becuase he's the nicest person you'd ever meet.
x

 

[hellybelly6]

My horse had ringbone diagnosed, high ring bone, low ring bone, navicular etc. He was very prissy being examined by the vet and I could not watch and a friend had to take over, he was in so much pain and was referred to the horsepital. I was so upset.

In the meantime, I was advised to keep him gently exercised on soft ground, consider remedial farriery, feed a joint supplement such as Synequin. So we started this and after a month he was still lame.

He went to the horsepital last week, had x-rays and to my total and utter surprise and delight, was found to have sidebone only. Apparently, this can be very very painful when it is forming.

So today, he went to the horsepital for remedial farriery and had 2 grooves cut into the outside wall of his hoof and we have to wait to see if this helps him.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that ringbone can be managed with the bar-shoes you rightly have, potent joint supplements and exercise (non-jumping) on soft ground. I also use magnotherapy boots for riding and when he is stabled overnight over winter (so he doesnt stiffen up as he gets stiff when stabled). My horse was also on 2 Danilons a day too and this can also help - I was told it was like a horse headache pill.

Like you, I can only have one horse and realise this is an upset and shock to you, but it can be managed and your horse can still be ridden from the sounds of it.

I wish you well. x

 

[hellybelly6]

PS, have you considered IRAP therapy or Tildren?

 

[HelBel]

thanks hb6, he has had x-rays so im pretty sure it is ringbone, but lovely to hear how your managing it well, i was going to ask about boots and bandages? i currently just ride him in brushing boots, what sort would you advise i use?
what is irap therapy or tildren??
x

 

[Theresa_F]

Cairo was found to have this after suddenly going lame - initially thought he had pulled his shoulder. X-rays showed low ringbone and a lot of arthritic changes to the coffin joint/pedal bone - typical heavy horse joints and he was getting on for 20.

For him, magentic straps made a huge difference. He wears then all the time, they are designed for this and has done so for the past three years. He went barefoot - this too helped as he has to have hefty shoes and not having their weight seem to ease things.

He has been fed instant linseed, Glucosamine with MSM and now has Global Herbs Movefreeplus - but this is more for stiffness he now suffers. Again until recently he was bute free but now due to another joint/ligament problem has a danilon am and pm which helps - he is 23 this year so a good age for a clydie.

Until fairly recently he was capable of hacks, small jumps and a gallop on soft ground. Carefully managed and expectations lowered, you may be able to have a horse fine to hack and do low level stuff on.

 

[hellybelly6]

Hi

Is the poorly horse the horse in your siggy? He is gorgeous, what a handsome lad.

IRAP is where some blood is taken, spun in a centrifuge and cells removed and injected into the site of arthritis. Its a bit like stem-cell treatment for split tendons, but for arthritis. It can be very effective.

Tildren is a drug used for people with osteoporosis. In horses it is given IV along with an anti-colic injection which can help with bone strength and bone formation in the horse.

These sites will explain better.

http://www.clydevetgroup.co.uk/equine/newsletters/jan08.htmarthritis

http://www.georgevetgroup.co.uk/equine/TILDRENfactsheet.pdf

I am not an expert, but I would stick with the brushing boots. My initial instinct was to protect the area too, but this would restrict movement and the area needs to be gently exercised and mobilised to keep it as supple and mobile as possible. Its important to exercise on soft ground with a prolonged warm up and cool down period.

You are doing everything which can be done and I think the new shoes will make a difference.

He is a very lucky horse to have you and I hope all goes well for you.

x

 

[smokeyjo]

Smokey (20yo) was diagnosed with low ringbone in both front coffin joints earlier this year (much worse in one than the other). He was severely lame on his near fore one morning when he came out of his box. The vet thought that it must be an infection, but couldn't really find the source. Anyway after the usual poulticing etc the lameness improved but didn't really disappear like it usually does with an infection so he came out again murmuring about the poss of a fractured pedal bone.

However X-rays showed that it was LR. To cut a long story short he has responded fantastically to steroid injections. He was on an extremely strict exercise programme for about 7 weeks following the injections but has been 100% sound ever since treatment. We never do any fast work - even trotting - on a hard or uneven surface now but for us it has been better than I had dared hope.

Before diagnosis he was semi-retired but still used to do a bit of local showing and dressage and it is still fine for us to do these (as long as the surface is soft and we don't do any tight turns).

Your boy must be having his 2nd injection today. Please let us know how he gets on, but after shedding lots of tears Smokey and I are loving life again - hopefully it will be the same for you. X

 

[smokeyjo]

Ooops HelBel. Just realised it's Thursday today so tomorrow is your boy's steroid injection. Good vibes now moved from today to tomorrow. X

 

[AmyMay]

My mare was diagnosed with low non articular ringbone when she was 17. I retired her immediately. She became perfectly sound and had a happy two years in the field before having to be put down due to an accident.

She'd probably be happily wandering round the field now if it weren't for that.