Ringbone - non articular

[LizzieBarrett]

Hi there,

Can anyone help?! My horse was diagnosed with non articular ringbone back in February, to date he is now sound and I'm riding him in the school and hacking at weekends, which is fab, coz I thought when he was first diagnosed that was it I would have to retire him. I've started to feed him cortaflex and he has turn out during the day and is stabled at night (the ground is so hard I thought it would help)...

It would be great to hear from anyone that has dealt with or is dealing with ringbone at the moment. I'm interested to hear what things u find work for your horse.. maybe we can exchange some tips?! I'm so glad my horse is sound but I'm always eager to hear what others are doing and if there is anymore I can do to make sure he is comfortable

Look forward to hearing from you

 

[Happy Horse]

Hello! Welcome to the forum

I can't help I am afraid, my old boy had articular ringbone but then he never did things by half!

Why not pop into the lounge and tell us all about him?

 

[allijudd]

oooh...will tell peg10 you are here...one of her horses has ringbone and is slightly lame at present..(we think its cuase they ran out of pink powder but im sure she will tell you more.!)

 

[_daisy_]

cant really help with non articular as Ebi has got articular just like HH. if you want me to tell you Ebis problems and what ive treated her with then im, more than happy to.

 

[AliJo]

Hi there, My large cob was diagnosed with ringbone about 2 years ago and was very lame. One vet told me to have her pts as she wasn't any better on two bute a day. I got a second opionion and was told to get a lot of weight off her and see how she went for a few months. We moved livery yards as the old yard only had rich grazing and wouldn't fence anything off for us and I didn't want to keep her in the stable for long periods. The present yard has perfect grazing for her and she has lost a LOT of weight. We started giving her Joint Right Supreme powder too and cider vinegar and she has been fine for hacking for about a year now. She has her bad days in the winter, usually after spending all night in the stable. We recently ran out of powder and she went a bit lame but we have now got some more so hopefully she will become more sound again. We have just organised another x-ray to see what changes have been made, if any, in the foot. I'm afraid I can't remember what type of ringbone it is as the first vet was not very forthcoming. Oh and we used calc fluor for a while last year aswell. Should know a lot more with the next x-rays soon.

 

[Louby]

Hi, my mare had articular ringbone and I found Feedmarks Flexamine worked for her much better than Cortavet. I used Cortavet Liquid whilst under the insurance but changed once the year was up as Feedmark had a half price offer. It was scary... she was like a spring chick.
She did go lame which was controlled by a small amount of bute and we retired her, she was only eight but I found her one morning with surgical colic and the vet said she probably wouldnt cope with the box rest following surgery due to her Ringbone so sadly she was PTS. I really thought the Ringbone would be what shortenned her life so it just goes to show. Im sure she would have pottered round for years with a little pain relief.
Good luck with your horse.

 

[AmyMay]

My mare has low non-articular ringbone, and was diagnosed just over a year ago. I have retired her and put her in foal. She is mostly sound - but does have the odd lame day.

At 17 I figured that she was more than entitled to live her days out in the field as long as she was comfortable and I won't get back on her again.

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hi there, sorry to hear about your horse, there so unpredictable aren’t they, but least the vet was honest with you as I guess it would have been worse to have gone through the op and realised she couldn’t stand up to the box rest. I'm a bit concerned about Blue in the winter months, as he went lame on the frosty ground so the vet recommended that he stays in 24hours when its frosty... I was worried that Blue might get really stiff from all that box rest, but I guess I'll just have to see how he goes. Did your horse used to live out 24 hours in the summer? Blue used to but now I have him stabled at night coz the ground is so hard but I'm wondering if it would be better to have him out as much as possible before the winter comes, what do u think?

Thanks again for your reply :0)

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hiya, many thanks 4 ur reply, it was interesting you said cider vinegar as I’ve heard people recommend that a lot. Can you buy it in bulk anywhere, or do you just get yours from a horsey shop? How long has your horse had ringbone? It would be interesting to hear the outcome of the x-rays, let me know if u can, hope it goes ok

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hiya
It would be great to hear what you have done for Ebis and how you’ve treated her. Any tips would be good.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hi there,

Gosh I’m amazed at how many people have replied, its great to hear from you so thanks for replying..........

Being a learner on this forum what is the ‘lounge’ ? I would love to tell you all about Blue but not sure how I do that through the lounge…

I’ll tell you a little about Blue now though, well he’s 15’3hh, cob gelding (very chunky) and such a wicked horse to ride, he’s like an arm chair I’ve had him since he was 3yrs old and now he’s turning 15. I was gutted when he was diagnosed with ringbone but to be honest when I’m riding him now I make sure I treasure every ride. He currently has pads on his front feet which apparently help him with concussion and I’m desperately trying to keep his weight down as he loves his food but luckily he’s in a field with not too much grass so he’s looking pretty trim at the moment. I tend to ride 5 – 6 days a week, maybe hacking on the weekends for an hour or so just in walk and then I take him in the school for half an hour in the week. He seems to be doing fine but the other night he seemed to have heat around his pastern but didn’t look lame or anything. Sometimes he comes out of the stable a little stiff after being in all night – is that quite normal?

Look forward to hearing from

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hi there,

Gosh I’m amazed at how many people have replied, its great to hear from you so thanks for replying..........

Being a learner on this forum what is the ‘lounge’ ? I would love to tell you all about Blue but not sure how I do that through the lounge…

I’ll tell you a little about Blue now though, well he’s 15’3hh, cob gelding (very chunky) and such a wicked horse to ride, he’s like an arm chair I’ve had him since he was 3yrs old and now he’s turning 15. I was gutted when he was diagnosed with ringbone but to be honest when I’m riding him now I make sure I treasure every ride. He currently has pads on his front feet which apparently help him with concussion and I’m desperately trying to keep his weight down as he loves his food but luckily he’s in a field with not too much grass so he’s looking pretty trim at the moment. I tend to ride 5 – 6 days a week, maybe hacking on the weekends for an hour or so just in walk and then I take him in the school for half an hour in the week. He seems to be doing fine but the other night he seemed to have heat around his pastern but didn’t look lame or anything. Sometimes he comes out of the stable a little stiff after being in all night – is that quite normal?

Look forward to hearing from

 

[TheresaW]

My horse was diagnosed with arthritis of the fetlock and ringbone back in March. He had been going on and off lame for a few months prior to diagnosis. I have put him on a glucosamine supplement and cod liver oil, and he also wears a magnetic band (when he isn't losing them). The vet has said that he will be better off ridden than rested as it will help keep the joint flexible. Since we started the supplements, he has been so much better. Like your horse, he is quite stiff first thing in the morning, but by the time we get to the field, he has normally loosened up. I will probably continue to turn him out for a few hours a day all through the winter, as he gets quite frustrated when he is stuck in his stable all day. Also, he is quite laid back and tends to just mooch around the field anyway, so I don't think he will really do himself any harm. Obviously if he starts acting like a loon, I will have to re-think. The vet has said that at the moment, his arthritis is a bigger deal than the ringbone, but regular check ups will keep an eye on any changes. Hope some of this is a help to you.

 

[Happy Horse]

The lounge is at the top of the forum list and the soapbox is somewhere near the bottom (very appropriate!)

The Lounge is for horsey gossip and the soapbox for anything (and everything!) else!

 

[_daisy_]

Ebi was diagnosed with with ringbone in coffin joints October 2004. It was the worse news i couldve ever been given. It was like the bottom of my world had dropped out. Ebi has had everything i could afford (oh and of course the insurance could afford) She was given a course of adequan every 6 months (dont know whether this has helped) She was also prescribed Synequin for her joints.
I started looking into other methods of easing the discomfort she gets from it so started feeding cider vinegar. I also bought her veredus magnetik stable boots and bioflow brushing boots. Got to admit these really do seem to have made a difference. Someone mentioned that you can now get over reach boots that are magentic - hese could help.
In March 2005 I started having major problems with Ebi in fast work. She was re xrayed and found to have ringbone in her fetlocks aswell. We decided that as she was going to have some time off we would put her in foal. She foaled 22 june this year and god what a difference it has made to her. She is completely sound (however she isnt in work and once in work she may go lame again) Its lovely to see her running round the field with Willow. She looks like the horse she was before she was diagnosed. When she foaled i didnt notice any stiffness (she foaled inside and had to spend about a week in due to Willow not feeding too well as Ebi got mastitis) She hasnt had any stiffness on the odd occassions she has had to be brought in.
She lived out 24/7 last year both in summer and winter. She had a few problems when the ground started to harden up in February but i doubled her joint supplement and she had no problems after. With regards to stiffness, ebi did show it when it was really cold but as she was out all the time and she was wandering to her hearts content we didnt really see much of it. Ebi hasnt once been on bute for her ringbone whereas some horses are given it.

 

[AliJo]

We get our cider vinegar from our agricultural store in the horse department in a 5 litre container which works out cheaper than buying smaller bottles. Will keep you posted on the outcome of the x-rays which should be in a couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see if there has been much change in the last two years.

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hi there Theresa

It sounds like your horse went lame pretty much the same time as Blue, he hadn't been lame at all before, then one day he just came in from the field incredibly lame :0( It was when the ground was really frosty so I've got to be extra careful now in the frosty weather but I'm hoping like you that I can keep him out as much as possible in the winter, to save them gettin bored and stiff and in the stable. Does your horse go out with others at the moment? I'm having to keep Blue in a field on his own at the moment, although Blue is so placid in the field I was worried about turning him out with his friends on this hard ground as I knew he would want to play for the first day or so and I didn't want to risk him going lame again. Plus the vet had said to me, turning him out will be the biggest challenge for him so I'm just hoping for some rain and then he can go out with his pals!!!!

Thanks for your reply, its good to hear how other people are managing with it. I'm such a worrier but I will try not to worry too much if Blue is stiff in the mornings, again like you by the time he gets to the field he is walking fine. I've actually just placed an order for some magnetic boots which he can wear in the stable (I just hope they fit as he has really chunky legs) but I'd be interested to know where you get your magnetic band from, I tried searching on google but nothing really came up?

I've been feeding Blue cortaflex for about 3/4 weeks now, when did u start to see a difference?

Do you keep your horse stabled at night now? Most of the horses at my yard are out at night and I was wondering if I should leave Blue out 24hours or not. Some people said it wouldn't be a good idea as he needs to come in and rest, but others said its better for him to be walking round to save him getting stiff?! Not really quite sure what to do as I think I'd prefer him to be stabled at night but I know if Blue had his own way he would choose 24 hour turnout

Sorry for asking loads of questions... once I get started I can't stop.

Hopefully chat to you soon

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Yippee I've managed to find a local feed shop that stocks cider vinegar so I've ordered 5 litres

thanks for your advice.

Hope all goes ok with the xrays - look forward to hearing from u in a couple of weeks!

 

[LizzieBarrett]

It sounds like Ebi is doing really well, and I guess she is a very proud mummy too

Thats the advantage of having a mare isn't it, least you can put them into foal!

Are you going to ride Ebi again do u think? Thats so great that she managed to live out nearly all year.... least she was able to walk off any stiffness she may of had.

I'm definitely going to try the magnetic boots, as I've heard lots of people talk about them so I thought it was worth a try. I dread to think how much I've spent on gadgets and supplements - best not to think about it really, but he's worth it!

Thanks for all your advice, chat soon

 

[Louby]

Hi, sorry for the late reply, no she came in every night. The vet said following colic surgery she may have to have box rest for up to 5 months, hence the decision. It wasnt an easy decision to make but her ringbone was progressing fast. She had golf ball sized lumps on the sides of each pastern and they had grown pretty fast. I had her nearly 3 years and Im sure she had ringbone when I bought her (had small lumps at first) Didnt get her vetted, more fool me but I dont regret buying her as she was the most genuine mare ever and the time we had together was special.
Good luck with your horse, non articular is no where near as bad as articular and Im sure you will have many years together, even if a little pain relief is needed.

 

[_daisy_]

Lizzieb, it was an added beneift of having a mare rather than a gelding. i couldnt bare to part with Ebi, so it worked out the best thing for her and me in more than 1 way.
Im hoping that i will ride her once Willow is weaned.If she is only a light hack then ill be grateful for that. If i get anything more out of her it will be a bonus.
Do try the magnets. Even if you dont buy boots as they can be really expensive but im sure Theresa_F will back me up here that there are some kind of fetlock bracelet thing that you can use just as good as boots and probably a lot cheaper. Think my Bioflow boots cost me £50, the veredus one costs me about £65.
With regards to gadgets and supplements - it does certainly add up. I think the part my insurers paid for Ebis claim was £4750

, thats not including all the bits and pieces i bought for her.

 

[TheresaW]

Hi Lizzie,

Mac is normally turned out either with my mare, or with my friends gelding, and he is stabled overnight. I think in some ways he would be better being out 24/7 as it would help if he was walking about for him not to stiffen up, but he gets quite bored and I just couldn't trust him to be out when no-one was around. He has the biggest stable at the yard though, so can move about quite freely in it.

The site where I got his magnetic band from is www.magnetic.uk.com He can wear it 24/7 and I just take it off to clean and check it isn't rubbing etc. If you ask them to, they will make the band longer as Blue has chunky legs.

Hope all this is of some help. It is all quite new to me and am learning as I go along, but if you need any help or just want to compare how mine and your boys are coping, feel free to PM me.

 

[LizzieBarrett]

Hi there Theresa

I've been onto that magnetic website - I've never seen those bands before - aren't they great, its like bracelets for horses (gosh these horses are spoilt .. hee hee). I think I'm going to get one of those 2.. what have I got to loose huh! Thanks for sending me over the link

Those magnetic boots that I ordered the other day arrived yesterday and guess what.... they fit, hurrah! i was so surprised as normally mail order stuff always ends up going back as its too small. I thought he could wear them when he comes in from the field and then I can take them off before I ride him in the evening. But if I get the band he can have that on when he's out in the field too. Does the band need to go round the area that he has ringbone or does it just go anywhere do u know?

I had the back lady up to check Blues back the other day and she mentioned that pole work is good for horses and it could help Blue with his ringbone... not sure of the reason behind it as she just left a note but I thought it was worth passing the advice on

I really appreciate all your help and advice, I just wish I had found this forum sooner... its so great! I've been desperate to speak to people that are managing ringbone but just couldn't find anyone , so I'm so glad I decided to have a nosey on this one

Another question for you (sorry.. here I go again), do u jump Mac at all? My vet said I could jump Blue on a surface but I'm really worried coz he's such a heavy horse and his ringbone is on his front leg I worry that when he lands it will put lots of pressure on it...

Wats ur thoughts?

Oh just one more, when did u start feeding Mac supplements?

Right best dash and get back to some work, this forum is addictive, look forward to comparing more notes soon

Thanks
Lizzie