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Ringboen
Post At
10/16/2008 - 2:21 pm
reply from
Jon Coriell
I have a mare that was recently diagnosed with ringbone in her off side front. The vet said there is nothing I can do so I am looking for help. I trim and shoe my own horses and have for some 20 years. I have limited therapeutic experience and would like to get some feedback. I live in an area with very little to no professional help - actually had to haul the mare to another town to get x-rays.This is a foundation bred AQHA mare that takes an 0 shoe opened way up. She has a good foot with no other problems. I would appreciate any help. If I cannot get her sound to ride I would at least like to ease the lameness for pasture turnout. Thanks
Reply at
10/16/2008 - 7:49 pm
reply from
chris diehl
Where? do you live
I keg shoe modified to give more breakover will help If you are shoeing you own horses you must first understand ring bone. From my experiences it its caused from a constant state of unbalance or a sudden traumatic injury to the side of the foot. (translation) If the horse is being trimmed so the out side is constantly high the you are applying too much pressure on the fetlock joint because the hoof cannot flare out fast enough to compensate for what you have messed up. OR A horse racing down the track, hunt field or pasture steps on a stone or falls into a hole and really jars the joint this can start the snowball effect of ring bone Imagine an already out of balance foot stepping on a rock or being forced to ride trails with steep ridges. You should walk around for a day with the outside of your shoe wedged up to fell what the horse feels.
Now, to alleviate this strain heat up the shoe and pack the material into the toe and the branch on the horn to avoind too much distortion, then begin putting a rolled toe on the shoe from the inside nail hole the whole way around to the heel nail of the affected side this will help the horse break over on the injured joint rather than forcing it to break ver perfectly straight.
I hope this wasn't to long for you. In my opinion ring bone is farrier caused.
I keg shoe modified to give more breakover will help If you are shoeing you own horses you must first understand ring bone. From my experiences it its caused from a constant state of unbalance or a sudden traumatic injury to the side of the foot. (translation) If the horse is being trimmed so the out side is constantly high the you are applying too much pressure on the fetlock joint because the hoof cannot flare out fast enough to compensate for what you have messed up. OR A horse racing down the track, hunt field or pasture steps on a stone or falls into a hole and really jars the joint this can start the snowball effect of ring bone Imagine an already out of balance foot stepping on a rock or being forced to ride trails with steep ridges. You should walk around for a day with the outside of your shoe wedged up to fell what the horse feels.
Now, to alleviate this strain heat up the shoe and pack the material into the toe and the branch on the horn to avoind too much distortion, then begin putting a rolled toe on the shoe from the inside nail hole the whole way around to the heel nail of the affected side this will help the horse break over on the injured joint rather than forcing it to break ver perfectly straight.
I hope this wasn't to long for you. In my opinion ring bone is farrier caused.
Reply at
10/17/2008 - 1:38 pm
reply from
Jon Coriell
The mare suffered an injury in the pasture. I treated her but not long enough I guess. She regained soundness and I rode her again a few months later she came up lame (after being pasture bred) I went to pick her up and she was lame again. Took her to the vet for x-rays of what I was already pretty sure of - ringbone. He said she suffered some trauma of some sort. I agree that horses not balanced when trimmed are at risk for all kinds of joint-leg and hoof problems not the cause here. Thanks for your response. I live in southern Ohio.
Reply at
01/ 1/2009 - 12:43 pm
reply from
Robert Holt
A more aggressive aproach that sometimes helps would be to apply a shoe that allows the least ammount of torque to the hoof and limb. E.D.S.S. sales a plastic full roller motion shoe called The Clog. If traction becomes an issue than just apply screws to the ground surface with the heads protruding. If the ground is abrasive the plastic will wear back quickly further reducing torque. That is the advantage of plastic over steel. Good luck
Reply at
01/ 4/2009 - 11:03 pm
reply from
Diane Greene
Hi there Jon. I have a 31 yr old anglo Arab gelding who has bi-lat high & low ringbone, plus significant sidebone in both feet. He also has moderate stricture in his front extensor tendens, which make his toes pop up after breakover. I have managed to keep him off Bute and fairly sound for the last 6 years. My first step was to put him on Glucosamine supplements. Shoeing - I started with a rocker-toe shoe, but quickly proceeded to E.D.S.S. (Natural Balance) steel shoe for break-over. This shoe worked for about 2 years. When he started going lame again I put Aluminum Grand Circuit "T" shoes on him, which made him sound for about three years. At $55/pair they are expensive but worth it. Last winter I pulled his shoes and let him go barefoot for a few months. His heels flattened out and his toe shot forward (very ugly) but he was really comfortable. I went back to the GC "T" shoe last spring so I could do light riding on him, but he started limping again. I then went back to the Natural Balance shoes, and he did OK, but when I pulled shoes this winter he is fairly sound once again. I do not plan to ride him anymore and I make sure he gets Bute after a crazy pasture run with my mares. All-in-all he is very comfortable. The key - change your approach when things don't work anymore. It's great being a farrier in this situation - you have lots of options. Good luck!
Reply at
10/24/2009 - 4:18 am
reply from
Heidi Meyer
Ring bone cannot tolerate two things, imbalance or torque, and contant pressure. Hard to get specific without the xray, but keeping the hoof wall from flaring, roll off your quarters to relieve pressure, and try a hoof boot for riding instead of shoes (bare while turned out). The increase in circulation will help the ringbone and the lack of torque from the shoe/nails will take the pressure off. Check out Pete's site www.hoofrehab.com and see if there is a AANHCP in the area that can take a look for you.
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