Ringbone

[Trouble]

Not asking this for either of mine (Thank god) My two are happy and healthy...BUT one of the girls on the yard has a youngish cob (7 yrs I think) who has just been diagnosed with ringbone and is dead lame.

Does anyone have any experience of ringbone? It's not something I've ever had to deal with first hand so I'm not 'up' on it really.

Our YO has suggested she butes the mare up and breeds from her but the girl is against that idea (sensibly in my opinion as the mare is nice enough but a bit of a heinz 57, no papers, not really been there done anything....far too many unwanted foals in the world to be breeding from a horse like this and putting it through all it would have to go through...in my opinion anyway)

She came to me and asked what my experience and opinion was...my honest opinion...as she was of a mind that she should have the mare put down as she can't afford to spend loads on treatment that may not work and our horses are on restricted turnout so not like she can be happy and chilled in a field somewhere....doesn't want to send her as a companion as she wouldn't be able to afford to have her back if she got another but doesn't want the risk of it being buted up and sold as a riding horse....the usual horror stories!

I said my honest opinion was that she should let her go and have her PTS. I know if either of mine had the diagnosis given to this mare I wouldn't hesitate to let them go, much as it would break my heart, it just seems the far kinder option.

BUT, before she makes a decision I thought I'd ask if anyone else has more experience of it than me....good news/bad news etc?

[KoLaTo]

Hi Trouble. I had a horse or rather 14.2 irish jumping pony diagnosed with it many years ago. Although the big difference was that he had got to the grand old age of late 20's something! I retired him from jumping which he adored. At the time I was young and wanted something to continue riding and jumping and he could only just about hack around quietly on bute. I kept him ticking over on bute before putting him out on permanent companion loan where he was able to come off the bute during the summer and lived on until his early 30's quite happily. The winter was very bad for him as it's rather like arthritis in that the cold makes it worse so eventually we made the decision that happy thou he was pootling around the field, we just couldn't see him suffer another winter and had him put to sleep. So my experience was not good althou he went on for approximately 5 years after the diagnosis. As far as I know, there is no known cure and the situation can only be controlled via painkillers. My pony did the same thing in that he went dead lame for about 2-3 mths then gradually with rest and bute, he came sound enough to enjoy being in the field again.

Is there any way that the horse can be gifted as a companion pony as it is very young to just give up when there may be some quality of life left for him somewhere? I know it isn't plain sailing but my old pony was a whole lot older and he made a fantastic babysitter for a few years.

[sooleo]

www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=5513

This may or may not be helpful.

If you put 'equine ringbone' in your search engine you will find a lot more.

[Trouble]

Thanks both! I'l have a looky at the link and pass that on to her.

Unfortunately I don't know enough about the pony/diagnosis/insurance situation to be very specific in what i research for her...I have to ask her a few more Q's when I next see her but I' cautious as it's obviously a sensitive issue!

Thnx for the responses!

[gordo]

My 17.2hh is in the process of developing high ringbone and the fusing is taking place. He wasn't really lame but was dragging the offending leg and resting it all the time. Finally had x-rays and nerve blocks which confirmed r/bone. He was intitailly prescribed 1 sachet of bute but had to up it to 2 a day as he didn't seem any better. Very light exercise maybe 2 times a week. Tried Bioflow boots but with no real change (not the case for all horses). Looked at Cortaflex etc but told by vet until fusion is complete there is no point so will hold fire till then. Told it could take 6 months to fuse but its a piece of string question. Haven't condemned him to the scrap heap yet and will continue to make him as comfy as possible. Going to look at Silver Lining Herbs too as someone suggested them. Thank God for good insurance company!!

[Trouble]

Thanks Gordo.

Not sure if this horse is insured and know that the owner isn't willing to spend the money trying to put it right....unless there is a guarantee!

[gordo]

There's no guarantees in anything to do wit neds - except that they cost a lot!! It would be a great shame for the horse if she did have her PTS as, once the fusion is complete, she could and probably will come right. Sadly some people wont put in the hard work and bale out. She would have to be x-rayed to confirm ringbone which isn't cheap so she needs to get some advice sooner rather than later to alleviate the pain this mare must be in. Bute (as much as I loathe it) has helped Gordo become more mobile. Once fusion complete I will look for alternative meathods to keep him happy and supple. I hope she won't breed from her, as you said, there are too many unwanted foals as it is. She could always advertise her on Project Horses and let someone who can care for her take her on. Good luck and let us know the outcome.

[Trouble]

I have to admit I didn't realise it was something that would fuse and come right after a while (obviously case dependant?)

[KoLaTo]

Trouble, that's what i meant with my old pony, it dosen't actually 'come right' so to speak but does settle after fusing? to a certain degree giving more flexibility which is what happened with him however i didn't feel comfortable having to bute him to gently ride him when he clearly didn't feel at all comfortable in himself ? Just not logical to me at all when he could pootle about the field happily being an ornament and companion but as i said, my situ was quite different in that he had had a very full career previously and was an 'oldie' as opposed to your friends youngun that she may well want to do a lot more with.

[jor]

Had a couple of experiences of ringbone.
one in a 17yr old tbx gelding. he was off work for about 8 months and on bute then a bute substitute daily. After 8 months he was able to come back into light hacking (remained on bute substitute) but went lame again just under a year later and was put to sleep.
Another was an 8yr old mare whose owner had no insurance and couldnt afford (or didnt want) to pay for long term treatment. I took this mare on as the owner was going to bute her and send her through a sales
She was given a positive diagnosis by the vet after shed been with me 6 months, she is now on permenant loan and does light work, she does get extra supplements but does not get any pain killers, though she doesnt canter or jump, however it wasnt an issue to the person who has her.

From what I know of ringbone individual cases can vary significantly from having an almost permenantly unsound horse to having one who comes sound and comes back into a reasonable level of work.

[honey]

We had a five year old mare who developed ringbone. We never put the mare on bute for it, and she was rather lame and we continued to lightly ride the mare to help it develop quicker. we then put her on a few months box rest before turning her out with our youngsters on firm ground. The x rays were taken and she had articular ring bone which means it was over the joint and the mare did come relatively sound and was never buted. Though hers was only like a bump, and if it hadn't of been over the joint she would of been sound. We wouldn't breed her because we wouldn't risk passing ring bone on to the foals. but we sold her as a brood mare, and she is quite happy. It depends if the ringbone is interfering with the joint or not to what she will be able to do. don't give up hope yet and takes about a year to develop fully.

[Trouble]

Thanks guys...this is all really useful stuff....might print this off and show her.

I think she needs to talk it through with the vet a bit more before coming to a decision.

It's certainly not as black and white as I was thinking it was and I'm now rethinking my original opinion which was that she was being responsible by deciding PTS...I'm now thinking it is still an option but she needs to know more about her case.

Food for thought there anyway. Also just goes to show that it's always a good idea to ask the question to as many people as possible! I've been around horses for 21 years now but I have learned lots today, just by asking this on a few sites!

[natalia]

Hi, my 15hh mare has severe ringbone in both front legs surround the coffin joint. Its the worst kind of ringbone because its not visable easily. It took my vet 3 months to work out what was wrong and only after xrays did he find it. She was dead lame and looked dreadful. my vet advised PTS as he said her prognosis to return to ridden work was poor but I didn't want to give up on her that easily and so chucked her in a 30 acre field for 6 months and left her to her own devices. There were times when she looked crippled and I wondered If I was doing the right thing but after those 6 months she was able to be brought back in to work and was still enjoying life. Ring bone must be allowed to fuse and given rest the horse should be able to return to light if not full work. My mare is now semi retired and out on loan where she still\light hacks happily. My rule has been that she must be kept qquiet on hard ground, that means no trotting on roads, fast work in summer ect.I also have tried to avoid jumping her , although she's fine to go over a couple in the school. My mare has only been buted when shes been at her worst, I try and avoid it whenever possible. Please don't let her PTS her horse without letting the bone fuse. Once diagnosed theres little the vet can do anyway in the way of drugs and treatment so she may as well let it settledown. I would claim Loss of use if shes insured if possible and then see what can be done about the horse. putting it out on loan as a light hack or companion may be a possibility.
Good luck, please tell her to keep her chin up as its not the end of the world!

[natalia]

forgot to say that if shes put in to full work she stays sound for about 2 weeks and then will go lame. On light work she stays pretty much sound. If she go's for a long ride we give her a bute PM and thats pretty much it.