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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
 
Location: Southern Oregon | I have had this Gelding since he was a 3 almost 4 year old. He was my graduation gift from a close family friend. He had been through 3 super rough trainers, mainly due to HIS poor attitude. I FELL in love with him and he fell in love with me. Anyways, he has always done the weirdest thing with dropping a hip ever so often like he stepped on a rock and was ouchie. I had him chiropracted a MILLION times to help his hip. He still would do it but less often. He also always had a little quarter size bony low growth on his left hind left pastern. I never thought anything of it, thought maybe he clipped a rock or something forever ago.
Fast forward to this year. He is 15-16 years old, has only been used intermittently for last several years. He is my GO TO GUY for people who can't ride or if I want a nice easy ride out and about. For the two weeks he has been being a SUPER big baby about what I THOUGHT was an abscess. His pasture mate had an abscess so I was treating them both. His pasture mates blew and his didn't. Today I took him out for his regular trimming with my farrier and noticed he had some swelling to his hind leg right above his coronet band. When I felt it, it was super painful and ridged and bumpy, bony growth. That is when it FINALLY clicked. I just scheduled a vet exam on him with x rays, but I KNOW exactly what it is. It is RINGBONE. :( I am sick over this. It seems to be High(pastern) original bump and Low(coronet band) bumps. I need some advice on keeping him comfortable and what type of out come am I looking at. I have a feeling this is the END and I am not ready!!!! I have been crying all day. He has been on bute for four days already, and he is still having a heck of time. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 149
Location: where the snow is flying | I am sending you a PM. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | Don't freak out..if he's a part time use horse it won't be that bad...if it is high ringbone it'll fuze usually and they do decent...i have one who developed it and is sound...he can get ouchy if worked alot lot but he's very active and I don't medicate him at all and it doesn't seem to bother him...
Edited to add he may be ouchy on it now because he may have injured it that may be what brought it on but once it heals it may be ok...definitely see the vet as there are some treatments to lessen it...
Edited by BBrewster 2015-05-14 9:07 PM
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A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | BBrewster - 2015-05-14 7:05 PM
Don't freak out..if he's a part time use horse it won't be that bad...if it is high ringbone it'll fuze usually and they do decent...i have one who developed it and is sound...he can get ouchy if worked alot lot but he's very active and I don't medicate him at all and it doesn't seem to bother him...
It's high and he has alot of growth lower as well. I'm trying to hold it together until his vet appointment, but this is rough |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| You can always inject it and see if he becomes sound.
There are many horses I know who have been maintained with HA injections and still been competitive barrel horses diagnosed with ringbone.
It all depends on what you are willing to do and how much you are willing to spend |
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Member
Posts: 36
| I just retired my 16 year old Mare from heavy competition this week. She was diagnosed with ringbone 6 years ago. She was a 1d rodeo horse for all of those years. She had severe side bone which she tripped and hit a few weeks ago and has been very lame is the only reason for retiring. I figured she should enjoy being a mom for a few years. She has won some pretty big races this year also. I had a full brother with same thing. Due to hard riding and bad shoeing for many years before I got them. Very manageable.
Edited by TightJointsPlus 2015-05-14 10:50 PM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | My so's good rope horse has it.....its very noticeable and he was lame..but he got todate one injection and hes been 100%.......m |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Not sure of the degree of what your horse has. Just injected one of my horses coffin joints last month. He had no outward signs like bumps or heat. Just felt something wasn't right, but he was sound to flex tests and only slightly off in a VERY tight circle ON concrete. We decided to x ray and found he has the very start of low ringbone (very small bone spur) and some places of high Ringbone an old injury. Vet said to inject, and alleviate as much inflammation as possible,improve his hoof angles, and change his break over (roll the toe). he previously had poor shoeing. My new shoer is amazing and very knowledgable on this and working with him and the vet also said to start him on A 7 series of adequan. And bute or equioxx a few days before and after the days when we ride him. Both vet and farrier seem positive that we can keep him comfortable and stop further damage with this regiment. Waiting to finish his series of adequan to see if it's truly helping.
Edited by imturnin3 2015-05-15 8:45 AM
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A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | I have an appointment set up for x rays and exam. You can see and fill it on the outside. About 3/4 of the way around his coronet band in the front of his hind leg. He is very noticeably lame at this point. I feel stupid for not catching this before yesterday. Honestly, it being on a hind leg throw me off, that and the fact that I have been taking him to the chiro for a HIP being out for years and years. I really dont think it was ever his hip, I think it was always this and I was just blind to it. The chiro just helped cover it up here and there. I feel horrid, my farrier who is the best in the area and works hand n hand with our vets didn't catch it either. He said it being so prominent on the hind leg threw him off as well. He already show him with a roll on the hind and front. He is a BIG heavy getting with BIG BIG hooves. I'm trying not to freak my self out too much until the xrays. I am just having a hard time with all of this. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Even if the xrays look awful, with some rest he might become comfortable again
I had one that had the bony protrusions that you are talking about. He had to be retired from barrels but he was trail/pasture sound for many years after the fact. |
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