If you’ve suffered from a bone spur, you can imagine how ringbone feels to a horse. Some level of discomfort accompanies each step. Swelling might or might not be present, but one thing is for sure, the bony growth interferes with mobility. The same is true for horses

Ringbone is an old term for degenerative joint disease because it describes the ring of bone spurs and osteophytes around the joints. These bony growths — in the pastern joint for high ringbone and the coffin joint for low ringbone — are the horse’s attempt to stabilize joints and decrease motion, which is secondary to inflammation occurring in the area, explains Julie McGhee Settlage, DVM, DACVS (LA), an equine professional services veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.

“Most people think about ringbone as the end stage when the area is ossified and you can see hard bulges through the skin,” says Travis Burns, MSc, CJF (TE, EE), FWCF, associate professor of practice and chief of farrier services at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. “But I think we often see ringbone in its early stages and at various stages of progression.”

Often, farriers will hear owners say their horse is “not right” — it might occasionally stumble or feel a little off going to the left or the right. Owners may also comment that something is wrong with their horse’s shoulder. But, it’s more common to have issues within the distal limb.

The earliest stages of ringbone can be difficult to diagnose because…