Herda Horseshoeing CJF

11/06/2025

Offering arena, pasture, and dry lot construction. Message me if your arena or pastures or fencing needs work.

11/06/2025

Great information!

Understanding Ringbone in Horses: A Guide for Horse Owners

Definition
Ringbone is a degenerative condition in horses characterized by new bone formation found below the fetlock joint (metacarpal inter-phalangeal articulation) effecting the pasterns and there joints. This over production of bone (exostosis ) is part of an arthritic process that affects performance and causes varying levels of discomfort.

Types of Ringbone
Ringbone can be classified into two main categories:
• Peri-articular Ringbone: Involves new bone growth away from the joint.
• Articular Ringbone: Involves bone formation that affects the joint surface and leads to joint degeneration and reduced mobility.
Depending on its location, ringbone is further divided into:
• High Ringbone: Affects the proximal phalanx (the upper pastern bone).
• Low Ringbone: Involves the middle phalanx (lower pastern bone), typically more severe and harder to treat.
• Ankylosis: In advanced cases, the joint may completely fuse.

Causes
Common causes of ringbone include:
• Conformational defects
• Repetitive concussion on hard surfaces
• Trauma or injury to the pastern or coffin joints
• Poor hoof balance or shoeing practices
• Chronic stress or overuse in performance horses

Diagnosis
Signs of ringbone may include:
• Heat and pain in the affected area
• Lameness, particularly when turning or circling
• Shortened stride and stiffness
• Preference for soft footing
• Occasional stumbling
• Decreased joint flexibility
• Detectable abnormal bony changes through palpation
Veterinary diagnosis typically involves:
• Clinical examination and lameness evaluation
• Radiographs (X-rays) to confirm the location and severity
• Possibly diagnostic nerve blocks to isolate pain sources

Prognosis
• Peri-articular Ringbone: Generally has a favourable prognosis. Pain is most pronounced during the active bone-forming (ossification) phase. With appropriate care, inflammation decreases over time and the horse may return to light work.
• Articular Ringbone: Often has a poorer prognosis, as the joint surface is compromised. It typically leads to progressive stiffness, decreased flexion, and retirement from high-performance activities.

Management and Treatment
While there is no cure for ringbone, it can be managed effectively with a combination of therapies:
• Veterinary supervision and ongoing assessment
• Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
• Steroidal joint injections to reduce inflammation
• Rest during flare-ups or the active ossification stage
• Cold hosing to manage heat and swelling
• Avoiding hard surfaces and minimizing concussion
• Consistent, corrective farriery, including full roller motion shoes to ease breakover and reduce joint strain.
Early detection and intervention are key to managing ringbone effectively. With diligent care and appropriate management, some horses with ringbone—particularly peri-articular cases—can continue to lead comfortable, useful lives.


BY MATTHEW JAMES AWCF

x-ray clearly shows extensive bone formation (exostosis)

05/06/2025

🐎 Rushing Can Cost You Dearly.

This is an X-ray of an almost two-year-old horse. It’s that time of year when many owners are excited to send their young horses off to a trainer to get started under saddle. But this story is a reminder of why patience matters.

This c**t will turn two in June. We sent his X-rays to university specialists — and the answer was clear: he’s not ready. The growth plates in his knees are still open. He needs another 10–12 months before he’ll be physically mature enough to handle consistent training.

❗Starting too early isn’t an advantage — it can lead to serious consequences like osteoarthritis, chronic lameness, and a lifetime of pain.

👣 If you have any doubts — get the X-rays. Give your horse time to grow strong. A true horseman doesn’t chase fast results — they build a future with care and respect.

🤍 Patience is also love.

23/05/2025

Great information, education is key for success!

“Poss posed the question of whether the hoof distortion seen in underrun heels actually starts with compression of the lateral cartilage. ‘Is the heel actually running forward or is the lateral cartilage, along with the laminae and the corresponding hoof capsule pitching backward?’ she said.

The anatomical details on the sole add confusion to the term ‘running forward.’ Where would the solar corium go if the heel is actually moving forward? The reason this is an important question to consider is that it may lead to better understanding of how to address this type of hoof.

‘If you think about it, you have solar coria (the soft tissue layer that connects the coffin bone to the rigid hoof capsule and contains the laminae and hoof’s blood supply) in front of this line, and everything else behind it is cartilage. So there really isn’t much room for the heel to run forward. Does it actually pitch back?’”
https://thehorse.com/182896/whats-really-crushing-horses-heel-structures/?fbclid=IwAR25RMZBJxptcCWZjLKOAiFiCOstmxplGXm-pKkl-uAPs8uusaD1mfA-xY4&mibextid=S66gvF

IS ‘UNDERRUN HEEL’ A MISNOMER?

I believe so.

Unless heel tubules actually fold over the heel triangle, heels can’t ‘run under,’ because they can’t displace forward of their origin.

This is why studying anatomy instead of learning a cookie cutter trimming style is so necessary.

What’s happening is the back of the foot is collapsing back over the heel origin.

Why? Most often because of excessive load from a broken-back pattern axis.

It’s so important to rethink underrun heels, because in the rush to ‘bring them back,’ we end up angling the heel platform and removing the buttressing support of the heel even further.

Those types of trims require a very short trim cycle and are very aggressive because they distort so quickly due to incorrect loading patterns.

15/05/2025

10/05/2025

Very sad and happy for this gentle giant.

Police horse Tanner is named in honor of fallen Officer Wendolyn Tanner, who was killed in the line of duty.

30/04/2025

Since ligaments connect bone to bone generally, that would make them the soft tissue closest to the bone when looking at a diagram like the illustration below. (Illustration from Pinterest)