They can be a big deal if they are active. Proper shoeing is critical to help them land as level as possible. Sometimes a rim pad under the shoe will help. I've had some client horses come here that we've xrayed, shod them properly and injected the area with Serapin and cortisone to get them more comfortable.
There have been several horses, over the years, in the top 15 that run with sidebones.
Is it even possible to get a barrel horse anymore without sidebones? Are they really that big a deal?
Plenty don't have sidebone, and most of the time when mild its no big deal. I've seen one horse with TERRIBLE sidebone on one foot and it was hard to not blame his lameness on it.
In looking for barrel horses it just seems they are popping up more. we did purchase one with them but had their history from prior years to compare and no change. Just concerned about purchasing one with no history about them or changes.
Sidebones
