Ringbone

The pastern and coffin joints are located in the lower limb of all four legs. The coffin joint is located within the hoof. Above that is the pastern joint, located between the top of the hoof and the fetlock. Learn more about horse hoof anatomy here.

What are the symptoms?
Horses develop a shortened stride and bobbing lameness, particularly when turning. In the active stage, heat and swelling around the joints may be present.

Where does it come from?
The most common cause is abnormal joint stress. This causes joint surface damage and subsequent bony development. Abnormal conformation, poor shoeing, unbalanced hooves and working on poor surfaces can cause stress. Other causes include trauma or laceration to the joint and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).

How is it diagnosed?
X-rays of the leg are the best way to diagnose the disease. The joint surfaces are usually very smooth, but when ringbone is present extra bone is seen on X-ray.

A thorough lameness exam is also important. The test should be conducted on hard and soft ground, jogging straight and in circles. Nerve block tests are also used.

How is it treated?
Equine ringbone treatment involves lifelong management. The goal is to decrease inflammation in the joint and save cartilage.

First, the horse's hoof must be balanced to decrease stress on the joints.

Anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids, along with synthetic joint fluid called hyaluronic acid may be injected into the joint to reduce inflammation and replenish the joint fluid.

Oral equine joint supplements may be given daily to help develop more cartilage and joint fluid. These include chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, MSM and oral hyaluronic acid.

Other Intravenous products may be used to increase joint fluid, reduce inflammation and strengthen cartilage.

Herbal supplements may be given in feed to help support the joint. Yucca and devil’s claw are common herbal anti-inflammatories. Use these with care to avoid allergic reactions and colic.

Low-level exercise is best for horses with this condition. Walking gently around a pasture helps stimulate circulation and decrease inflammation. Soft footing is better than hard, but too soft causes overflexion of the joint and increased inflammation.

Physical therapy is also available for these horses. Warm therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic offer help.

Keep an eye out for a promising new therapy called extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT). It's not clear how this therapy works, but it's the subject of much research right now. We'll keep you posted.

How is it prevented?
Hoof balance, proper trimming and shoeing, footing and exercise are critical factors in managing ringbone. Hard footing increases trauma on the joints, while deep footing increases the flexion of the joints leading to possible overflexion and damage to the joint capsule.

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