RING-BONE. 881 



development of the hoof. The proper distribution of weight on all 

 four feet and the absence of lameness show this condition to be normal. 

 Thickening of the skin may be recognised by palpation, and ossification 

 of the lateral cartilage can easily be distinguished from ring-bone if 

 palpation is practised with any approach to care. 



It is more difficult to distinguish ring-bone from synovitis of the 

 coronary-joint, though the latter is accompanied by acute inflammatory 

 symptoms (increased warmth and pain on pressure). As, however, 

 chronic disease consequent on strain also falls under the designation 

 ring-bone, conditions occur which may be described by either term. 

 The disease may be masked by thickening of the skin around the 

 joint, a condition sometimes induced for purposes of deception ; 

 the trick succeeding the more readily as laymen are predisposed to 

 refer lameness to the skin injury. It is always safer to take the 

 opposite view. 



Course and prognosis. As a rule, the disease is chronic, though 

 the different forms of ring-bone exhibit many peculiarities. The 

 articular form generally sets in slowly, though at times it results from 

 acute synovitis, and is then described as arthritis. As complete 

 recovery cannot be expected, the prognosis depends on the degree 

 of lameness and the work required of the horse. Lameness of 

 sufficient severity to prevent work can only be removed by neurectomy. 

 Exostoses, involving the front of the joint, offer little chance of cure, 

 and those fixing the joint none at all. 



Periarticular ring-bone sometimes results from periarthritis of 

 the coronet-joint, or from repeated strain of its lateral ligaments. 

 Improvement or cure depends on the nature of the pathological 

 processes, and the possiblity of removing the active cause. When 

 the joint is much enlarged and the position of the pastern altered, 

 recovery is not to be expected. The more nearly the enlargement 

 approaches the joint, especially the front or back of the joint, and 

 the nearer it is to the hoof, the more serious the condition ; high 

 ring-bones are therefore less dangerous than those in the coronet 

 region. The prognosis is also less hopeful where conformation is 

 bad. When, on the other hand, errors in shoeing, such as unequal 

 paring of the foot, are the cause, their removal will be followed by 

 diminution or disappearance of lameness, but the exostoses are 

 never completely removed. The prognosis is naturally unfavourable 

 in anchylosis of the joint. The rachitic form always develops slowly, 

 and is permanent, though it seldom causes lameness ; if lameness 

 exists, it may safely be ascribed toother changes, which must therefore 

 be considered in delivering a prognosis. 



E.S. 3 L 



