Sidebone in horses is the ossification of the collateral cartilages in the foot. The collateral cartilages are just above the coronary band on each side of the lower pastern. The collateral cartilages are considered to be shock absorbers for the foot.
Full Answer
What is sidebone in a horse?
What are sidebones? Sidebones are a name for a condition that results in ossification of the collateral cartilages of the foot, i.e., the cartilages transform into much harder and less flexible bone.
How does sidebone affect a horse?
Sidebone may also cause pain in the ligaments of the coffin joint. Sidebone is believed to result from concussive forces travelling through the foot during weight- bearing causing trauma to the collateral cartilages. This process tends to affect the front feet and is more common in older horses.
What does sidebone mean?
Medical Definition of sidebone 1 or sidebones plural in form but singular in construction : abnormal ossification of the cartilages in the lateral posterior part of a horse's hoof (as of a forefoot) often causing lameness. 2 : one of the bony structures characteristic of sidebone.
What is the difference between ringbone and sidebone in horses?
Horses with low ringbone are rarely able to perform at a high level, though they may be able to do light work. Sidebone can be caused by the same conformation faults (particularly, a heavy horse with small feet) and types of strain as ringbone. Trauma such as a kick can also cause inflammation that leads to sidebone.
Does sidebone cause lameness?
Sidebone rarely causes lameness, however if some of the bony formations fracture, rub together or push against other sensitive structures in the foot, this can potentially cause pain and manifest as lameness.
Can a horse with side bone jump?
Can horses with a side bone jump? - Quora. Yes, usually, but it may depend on the horse and the amount of jumping it does. Side bone is more common in heavy horses (warm bloods, draft horses) and in these horses it's usually not an issue. If a lighter horse has side bone, it can more readily cause issues.
How do you treat a horse curb?
Curbs arising from direct trauma usually result in swelling around, rather than within, the tendons or ligament. These cases can usually be managed with local injection of corticosteroids to reduce the swelling and prolonged rest is not normally required.
What is horse Quittor?
What is quittor? Quittor is an old term for a condition that involves death and destruction (necrosis) of the collateral cartilages of the foot (see our information sheet on sidebones), following an infection in the foot (see our information sheet on pus in the foot).
What are Osselets in horses?
Osselet is arthritis in the fetlock joint of a horse, caused by trauma. Osselets usually occur in the front legs of the horse, because there is more strain and concussion on the fetlock there than in the hind legs.
Is sidebone in horses genetic?
Some horses appear to have a hereditary predisposition to sidebone because of conformation. Horses with narrow, upright feet or unbalanced feet, especially those that toe in or toe out, seem prone to the condition.
Can you ride a horse with ring bone?
The pastern joint is a low-motion joint when compared to the high-motion coffin joint, allowing for an increased likelihood that a horse with high ringbone could still be ridden after joint fusion.
Can you fix ringbone in horses?
IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein), PRP (platelet-rich plasma), and stem cell therapy are on the horizon for treating ringbone. Shockwave therapy has been used to treat ringbone as well. In many cases of high ringbone, the bony proliferation may eventually cause the pastern joint to fuse.
How do you help a horse with a ringbone?
There are several experimental therapies that may eventually be used to target ringbone. IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein), PRP (platelet-rich plasma), and stem cell therapy are on the horizon for treating ringbone. Shockwave therapy has been used to treat ringbone as well.
How do you treat a horse curb?
Curbs arising from direct trauma usually result in swelling around, rather than within, the tendons or ligament. These cases can usually be managed with local injection of corticosteroids to reduce the swelling and prolonged rest is not normally required.
What are Osselets in horses?
Osselet is arthritis in the fetlock joint of a horse, caused by trauma. Osselets usually occur in the front legs of the horse, because there is more strain and concussion on the fetlock there than in the hind legs.
What is a Thoroughpin in horses?
Thoroughpin is a swelling of the tendon sheath around the deep digital flexor tendon of the hind leg as it passes around the hock. It therefore is found just in front of the Achilles tendon and just above the point of the hock.
What is sidebone in horses?
Sidebone in horses is the ossification of the collateral cartilages in the foot. The collateral cartilages are just above the coronary band on each side of the lower pastern. The collateral cartilages are considered to be shock absorbers for the foot. Protect yourself and your pet.
Why is sidebone important for horses?
Preventing excessive sidebone is important to keeping your horse healthy and active into old age.
What is Sidebone?
The collateral cartilages are in sense, elastic, and allow the foot to move freely when your horse moves. When the collateral cartilages become ossified, they lose the elasticity and are much harder without flexibility.
Why do jumpers have sidebone?
Hunters and jumpers are also predisposed to develop sidebone because of the undue stress on the collateral cartilages. Sidebone is commonly found in the front feet. There have been instances where it has been diagnosed in the hind feet. Sidebone in horses is the ossification of the collateral cartilages in the foot.
How to diagnose sidebone in horse?
When diagnosing sidebone, your veterinarian will do a thorough examination of your horse. They will palpate above the coronet and may feel a loss of normal flexibility of the heel over the cartilage. A palpation of the coronary band and the collateral cartilages should also be done to feel for any calcification of the cartilages. The coronary band may have a bulge over the ossified cartilage and the hoof wall may appear more upright.
What happens to the collateral cartilages of horses?
The collateral cartilages are in sense, elastic, and allow the foot to move freely when your horse moves. When the collateral cartilages become ossified, they lose the elasticity and are much harder without flexibility.
What does it feel like to palpate over the coronet?
They will palpate above the coronet and may feel a loss of normal flexibility of the heel over the cartilage. A palpation of the coronary band and the collateral cartilages should also be done to feel for any calcification of the cartilages.
What is it called when a horse has a side bone?
Infection of sidebones collateral cartilages/sidebones is called quittor and is an uncommon condition that was also more commonly seen when draft horses were plentiful (see our information sheet on Quittor).
What are sidebones?
Sidebones are a name for a condition that results in ossification of the collateral cartilages of the foot, i.e., the cartilages transform into much harder and less flexible bone.
How can sidebones be treated?
Uncomplicated, normal, progressive ossification of the sound horse's collateral cartilages causes no clinical problems and requires no treatment. Where clinical problems occur, most importantly lameness, it is most important to identify and treat the complicating or predisposing problems:-
What is a fractured sidebone?
So called 'fractured' sidebones, sometimes seen at radiographic (x-ray) examinations, are usually separate centers of ossification (bone formation), where disorganized transformation from cartilage to bone has created 'islands' of bone within the collateral cartilage, giving the impression of a fracture on the x-ray film.
Why are sidebones important?
They are normally important as shock-absorbers for the foot. Because cartilages are normally elastic, they allow the foot to deform during weight bearing, and then return to its previous shape. Sidebones develop more commonly in the front rather than the hind feet and are more frequently seen in the heavy ...
Why should horses feet be trimmed?
Your horse's feet should be regularly trimmed and shod to prevent imbalance, uneven weight-bearing and to ameliorate concussive forces in the foot.
How long should a horse rest?
The horse should have an extended period of rest (6-8 weeks). Your veterinarian may recommend a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication if the condition is causing lameness. The affected foot should be re-shod regularly to gradually encourage heel expansion.
