A. Ringbone, a lameness disease of the pastern and coffin joints, is a degenerative disorder that has no cure. Once the condition occurs, it’s always there and will progressively worsen. Fortunately, with treatment and good management, disease progression can be slowed, allowing the horse to remain competitive.

“On a descriptive level, ringbone is a circumferential enlargement that occurs at the level of the pastern joint or coffin joint,” says George Martin, DVM, MS, MBA, Dipl. ACVS, an Associate Professor and surgeon at Louisiana State University. “High ringbone refers to the condition when it affects the pastern joint, and low ringbone refers to the condition when it affects the coffin joint.”

In simple terms, says Martin, ringbone is similar to arthritis, with the affected area showing bony spur formation and evidence of degenerative joint disease (DJD)