Pain in the Hoof: Riding Still Possible After Ringbone Strikes

Ringbone is arthritis basically speaking, osteoarthritis (bony arthritis) specifically speaking. Arthritis is defined as any condition that causes inflammation in the joint. Ringbone can occur in the coffin joint (low-ringbone) and in the pastern joint (high ringbone).

Most people don’t realize that a horse’s hoof is a complex structure of joints and bones, bits and parts and pieces, much like our own hands or feet. Hooves are not simply a hard piece of toenail on the end of a horse’s leg. There are seven separate identifiable parts on the outer hoof and 14 identifiable parts on the under side of the hoof.

Within the hoof and lower leg there are about 44 separate identifiable parts and all must work together and correctly in order for the horse to move.

Ringbone, or osteoarthritis, forms when the inflammation within the joint creates enough damage that the body lays down bone in an effort to heal the damaged tissue. Ringbone is a very complex issue, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of your riding days or your horse’s usefulness. 

Jane has ringbone, and has the entire time I’ve owned her. Jane’s case of low-ringbone is pretty mild and was exacerbated by an injury in her younger days, before I owned her during barrel racing practice. No, Jane is not, was not and never will be a barrel horse. She is mine because of that – she hates to run and strongly dislikes being ridden at all.

Jane has a toed-in stance and that makes her more susceptible to ringbone (she’s pigeon toed) and because of her stance she often hits the inside of her right front hoof with her left when she walks, and that has created the whole ringbone issue for her.

When she was younger and I rode her a lot, I always kept bell boots on her front feet so there was a cushion and no further damage would occur. Her hooves were trimmed correctly and “corrective” shoes were made for her on a regular basis by my skilled farrier.

I have pretty much retired her these days, as she has had other health issues, but she was a good riding horse for many years. She putts around pasture bossing everyone else around and is a sweet 18-year-old mare that I adore. Yep, now she’s a pasture pet. 

There are many causes for ringbone, including poor conformation, unbalanced shoeing or trimming, joint trauma and blunt-force trauma. Jane’s case is due to bone spurs, hard riding on bad ground and footing and too many other causes to name.

It’s tough to know what damage may be occurring within your horse’s feet, so always be mindful and if you are unfamiliar with the structure of the hoof do some research on the hoof mechanism so you will better understand how to protect your horse, whether she has ringbone or not. 

Ringbone affects horses of all ages, young and old and can be devastating, even life threatening, but that is rare and most horses that are affected have cases that are manageable. X-rays are the best way to know if your horse has developed Ringbone. Sometimes you have those subtle hints if your horse is regularly “lame” or “sore” and you just can’t put a finger on the cause. It could be a stone bruise or a sore shoulder, but if the “lameness” continues or worsens you should have her looked and have a lameness test performed by your vet. 

Treating ringbone is a whole-body process and every angle should be addressed. Your farrier and vet can help you decide if she would benefit from a break over (rolled toe) during a trim or shoes built to assist her in moving better and relieving the pain and pressure on her hooves and joints.

Therapies like shockwave therapy have proven effective for some cases while others respond to injections of Adequan or legend and you may have to try a few different treatments to see what works best for your horse’s situation. Regular, consistent, low-level exercise will help too, or being in pasture where she can move around on her own will assist her in feeling better.

Funny, it’s like that for people too – doctors recommend exercise to arthritis patients all the time. Physical therapy is available but may be out of your budget, so if you have a pasture area available, work with the footing and be careful not to make it too soft—which can cause overflexion and exacerbate her pain—or too hard, also not good for a horse with arthritis. Remove rocks whenever possible. 

If you have a horse that has ringbone, be diligent in her care to help her be as comfortable and as serviceable as possible, and remember it may not be the end of her career. It may be just a change in riding and the two of you could have many years of riding pleasure together to come. Jane and I rode trail together for nearly 12 years even though she has ringbone.