Ringbone, Fly Boy and de-nerving - LONG

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moneypit1

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Fly Boy is a 15 yo DWB who was a successful sj up until recently. He was diagnosed with ringbone in the pastern joint on both front legs last July and had the left one medicated as it was the worst and making him quite lame. The first medication brought him sound again for about a month only so was medicated again. Although he was only doing light hacking since then he is now unfortunately lame on a circle or on hard ground on this left leg despite being on 1 x danilon a day. Yesterday he was re-xrayed and the ringbone has got significantly worse. Now, he is in himself very healthy, he loves life and is a much loved 'pet' who owes me absolutely nothing. My vet has said that the only real option open to me is have have him de-nerved which is full on operation. This hopefully will enable him to enjoy a few years in the field, light hacking if possible etc. I just wondered if anyone else had had this done to their horse? I do feel that this is really his last chance and it is the only thing I can do for a much loved friend.
 
OMG! That is drastic. Ringbone, correct me if I am wrong, is due to foot loading incorrectly which causes P1 or P2 to grow new bone to compensate. I take it your horse hoof is contracted and underrun?
 
tallyho! said:
OMG! That is drastic. Ringbone, correct me if I am wrong, is due to foot loading incorrectly which causes P1 or P2 to grow new bone to compensate. I take it your horse hoof is contracted and underrun?
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Ringbone is Oesteoarthritis (sp), 'hooks' of bone have grown into the joint and on the surface of the joint. It is a progessive disease which is caused primarily by concussion.
 
moneypit1 said:
Ringbone is Oesteoarthritis (sp), 'hooks' of bone have grown into the joint and on the surface of the joint. It is a progessive disease which is caused primarily by concussion.
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loading/concussion same thing. It's the way that it was loaded that caused the problem. Well, I think personally there are other ways but I think your mind is made up. I've heard and read about this op and read the alternatives too.

these were a couple of articles I remembered when we thought my own horse had ringbone. It turned out to be rotated P3, wear (artheritis on P2) and contracted heels after x-ray.

I just want to share the success I have had and while it may not be for you, it was worth mentioning that there is another way out than surgery.

http://www.holistic-hoof-and-horsecare.com/ringbone.html

http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/10/09/ringbone/
 
My Old Mare has identical sounding ringbone to yours. She's sound in walk but not trot. I personally didn't go down the de-nerving route and am ever grateful that I didn't. My reason for not doing it was that I was worried that I was worried that it would mask other problems and I wouldn't know if she was actually lame with some other condition aside from ringbone. As it happened she subsequently developed Cushings related Laminitis. Would it have shown up if she'd been de-nerved? Or not until to late? Also she's had abscessess, again I wonder if I'd have known if she'd been de-nerved? (I may be wrong of course, but that's what put me off). She developed it at about the same age as yours and is now just a big pet.

Good luck whatever you decide
 
Just to add, my mare's is likely caused by conformation - her lower limb confo is not the best
 
Thanks guys, apreciate all advice. I am worried about the de-nerving tbh and I am trying to find out as much as I can about it. At the moment Fly is shod by a remedial farrier who goes off regular x-rays to get the foot balance as good as it can be. I just don't know what to do for the best and keep flitting from one decision to another. Keep your replies coming, I need as much info as poss. thankies again.
 
My old horse had ringbone in his coffin joints, he too was the same age as yours. He was not lame in walk but terribly in trot, my vet advised he be pts, this was over 10 years ago and obviously there are more options now than then but i do think i would make the same choice, as i couldn't bear to see him suffer any more. :(
 
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Have you heard of Rockley Farm? A few horses from here have been and I hope some reply to you today. How awfully worrying it must be for you. ((Big hugs))

http://www.rockleyfarm.co.uk/RockleyFarm/Home.html

http://www.horsemagazine.co.uk/features/barefoot_trimming.php

I thought I would mention as Nic Barker runs a rehab centre for cases such as yours with great success. Some go on barefoot and others are re-shod but with a better foot completely even after 6 months. It would be worth the call as she may be able to put you in touch with someone closer. Just throwing more ideas out there.
 
To be honest I really think you should look into what other posters have said about other options.
My friend's horse had very advanced navicular and the options were denerving (to try to make her field sound enough to retire) or PTS. The vet said that she very rarely recommends denerving for the reasons that 0ldmare mentioned and also that it can cause them to trip constantly so for my friend's mare it would not have offered a dignified field retirement. It is putting your horse through major surgery without real prospect of a recovery.
I am truly sorry that this is not the positive experience that you were hoping for, but hopefully you will be able to find something useful in one of the other posts that enables you to give your horse the retirement that you want to.
 
A previous horse of mine had non articular ringbone - I retired her to the field, and would never, ever have put her through the surgery.

She was medicated when needed, but remained happy and field sound for a number of years. She was also on Synaquin, which helped support her joints (and which I was able to get through my insurance company).

I should add, that once retired to the field her shoes were taken off, and she was just trimmed regularly. Her foot conformation was good, but the arthritis (ringbone) was essentially concussion lead.
 
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I had an ex racer with ringbone in both front feet. Probably caused by fast work on hard ground.

He was an unusual case as he was completely sound, apart from some changes in his gait caused by the restriction to his pastern joint. We had lots of tests to determine that this was the case and he was not just equally lame on both front legs! The only time we had problems was the day after he was shod he would be stiff, so he just always had a day off then and would be fine by the next.

This was a long time ago (late 80's/early 90's), but I was told that in some cases horses come sound once the growths have formed and the joint has fused, but it was very unusual.

This horse Pre Novice evented with the ringbone and stayed sound until 19/20when an unrelated field accident caused him to retire.

When he finally passed at the happy age of 24 my vets and the farrier took his front legs to investigate why he was sound, when really he shouldn't have been. Never asked for the results at the time, was too upset, but I often wonder if the found out anything useful.
 
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