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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
   
| Through a PPE, early ringbone (sensitivity) was detected in the left front of my horse. I did not do x rays. It was detected just by a "hands on" exam - for lack of the correct term lol!.... He is not lame and has not been. I want to do anything that I can to help treat it early if there even is anything that would help. He is a ranch horse that gets rode once a week or less at this point. He's 12. (edited to add, he is toed in)
Please share with me what you all know! Thanks!
Edited by camocowgirl 2015-12-13 11:11 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| You need xrays
No vet can tell you if it is early ringbone by paplation.
The horse may have fused already as I know of one who passed a flexion test with fused pasterns. Xrays showed fusion.
I have one mare who looks like a classic ringbone, no lamness, and the xrays show the joints are clean, vet says soft tissue damage due to malnourishment before the age of 2, I got her at 3 and she was skin and bones.
If your horse has a high pain tolerance level, he may not go lame till he is bone on bone, I had this happen with one horse, he went lame one day, xrays showed horrible arthritis, no cartilage left. With suppliments and injections we were able to get him sound. 10 yrs later a different vet flexion tested him and passed him.
This is why you need xrays
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I have a friend whos stud has ringbone. Vet thinks it is from always having long toes. He wasn't kept under a very good farrier. So if it is determined that the horse really does have the start of ringbone, I think making sure the heels are where they should be and really shorten that toe up. |
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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | I am dealing with it on one of my geldings on a hind leg, it has been horrid! Depends on if it is high or low, we tried injections and other pain meds but we have had NO Luck/ :( |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | It depends on if it is high or low, and you need x-rays. I have never heard of ringbone being diagnosed by palpation.
My gelding has high ringbone (between P1 & P2) that developed after he broke the P2 in his right hind leg. The boney changes have stayed out of the articulating joint surfaces, he has ZERO lameness/soreness on it and at this point it is just ugly. Unless I tell people about it, and they know to look for it, most people don't even notice it.
He gets vetted by the best lameness vet in the PNW every six months, full x-ray, flexion, etc. and he gets trimmed/new shoes every five weeks religiously. He has had the P1/P2 joint injected once, but as of right now he does not need injections, and it has been one year since the injection was done.
Ringbone is manageable and not always crippling, but you need to get x-rays and get him in with a lameness vet. |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| hmmm well then I will get him looked at and get an x ray done. maybe its not even ringbone.... |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| The first vet was right. ....Got the x rays done. He has low ringbone/arthritis in the lower bone. In the x Ray it's the top/front of that bottom bone of the pastern column.
Ugh i am so deflated. :'(
Vet said there are lots of supplements, injections that we can try when the time comes. As of now he doesn't show it. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| The girl who keeps her horse at my place - her mare was diagnosed with similar ringbone I think 4 years ago. She had her mare injected the one time. I talked my friend into pulling shoes and going with my nb trimmer. Her horses feet responded to the loss of shoes perfectly and now has had -0- issues with her front foot that had the ringbone. Her dude is her vet and even he was surprised with how much the ringbone issue regressed. She will always show the bone damage in x-rays, but there is no functional loss. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I believe there has been some success with tildren on prolonging ringbone. I would speak to the vet about this.
Injections can prolong the progression as well. I would only use trimisclone and HA, no depo, no prednisone, no betamethasone as these will speed up the deterioration of the joint.
Stem cells can help
Get the horse on a oral supplement, I like lubrysin
I would also look at pentosan, acetyl d glucosamine, and polyglycan religiously.
With aggressive therapies, and treatment it is not career ending if caught early |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | Unless this horse is priced so low you can't pass him up I'd pass. High ringtone had a lot more treatment options then low ringtone. Low ringtone can be hard to manage and there isn't a lot you can do for it.
I had one with low ringtone that I tried PRP, IRAP, injections, supplements and nothing made a major difference except in the lightness of my wallet.
This was discovered as part of a PPE so think hard.This horse will not qualify for insurance under most plans (or a lot of exclusions will be placed).
If you do decide to purchase ask if his angles are off on his feet and work with a good farrier. Keep regular farrier and never let them get long.
Good luck
Edited by RunNitroRun 2016-02-06 8:02 PM
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | RunNitroRun - 2016-02-06 7:58 PM
Unless this horse is priced so low you can't pass him up I'd pass. High ringtone had a lot more treatment options then low ringtone. Low ringtone can be hard to manage and there isn't a lot you can do for it.
I had one with low ringtone that I tried PRP, IRAP, injections, supplements and nothing made a major difference except in the lightness of my wallet.
This was discovered as part of a PPE so think hard.This horse will not qualify for insurance under most plans (or a lot of exclusions will be placed).
If you do decide to purchase ask if his angles are off on his feet and work with a good farrier. Keep regular farrier and never let them get long.
Good luck
I don't think this is a purchase, think it's her horse. |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| yes I own him.
He isn't showing signs of being sore yet so I'm hoping I've caught it early enough.
I called smart pak and they suggested Smart Flex Senior and an Omega 3 supplement.
I haven't ordered anything yet.... very overwhelming trying to choose a product.
Platinum performance was suggested to me but I had a horse on that years ago and it turned him into a nut case lol. Cosequin was sugessted too...
I read one article said to start with glucosamine and then start adding in other ingredients as needed but I think I'll call my vet and see what he says about starting something before he gets sore. He only mentioned starting something after he gets sore and I rather start now if it will help! |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | camocowgirl - 2016-02-07 1:29 PM
yes I own him.
He isn't showing signs of being sore yet so I'm hoping I've caught it early enough.
I called smart pak and they suggested Smart Flex Senior and an Omega 3 supplement.
I haven't ordered anything yet.... very overwhelming trying to choose a product.
Platinum performance was suggested to me but I had a horse on that years ago and it turned him into a nut case lol. Cosequin was sugessted too...
I read one article said to start with glucosamine and then start adding in other ingredients as needed but I think I'll call my vet and see what he says about starting something before he gets sore. He only mentioned starting something after he gets sore and I rather start now if it will help!
I use Platinum CJ for my old guy (37) who has arthritis, and I love it. Use it for my retired mare who has some suspensory issues and seems to help her too. I know a lot of our buddies on here don't care for feed-thru supplements, but I can see a difference with mine. (I also have my 21 year old gelding on it just cause of his age---he has nothing wrong with him!)
Hope you decide on a course of action that works for you and your guy. Sending good, positive thoughts your way. |
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