I am thinking of
buying a horse but they said he has Ringbone. I am not sure what that is! Would
you recommend staying away from it or is it something you can work with and they
are fine?
"Ringbone"
is a term used to describe bone formation in and/or around the pastern joint.
It is most commonly caused by trauma to this area, either by direct insult (wire
cuts, sprains/strains) or indirect insult (concussion, shoeing, hoof imbalance,
conformational faults). It is often further classified as "high" or "low"
ringbone depending on its location.
It
is a serious problem but can often be managed successfully. My best successes
have come from removing the metal shoes and developing a nicer hoof... and
keeping the horse moving. This means growing a hoof that is strong and does
it's rightful job dealing with torque and concussion for the horse, instead of
passing it off to the pastern and other joints. Often times, using a hoof boot,
with or without an inserted pad, does wonders for comforting a horse with
ringbone, making them very useful for trail riding and even lower level
competitive sports.
I
and others have been able to reduce the bone formation and inflammation in many
of these horses through some of these simple changes in management, but a
complete cure has not been the rule. If the horse in question moves fairly well
on softer ground and/or in boots, they are most often good candidates for
working with and rehabilitation... I've had several very lame horses make drastic
improvements beyond my expectations... and some that did not improve much at
all.
Dr.
Tom T.
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