Ringbones. This term is applied to osseous or bony growths which are found upon the upper and lower pastern bones of the horse. They are of two kinds, true and false. The false ringbone is an exostosis situated above the middle of the long pastern bone, and as a rule gives no inconvenience, and unless very large is not looked upon as an unsoundness. The true ringbones, which are of two kinds—viz. high and low—are always to be considered as constituting an unsoundness of the gravest character, involving the articular ends of the bones, and giving rise to obstinate and often incurable lamenesses. The high ringbone involves the pastern joint, and the low ringbone the coffin joint, and is partly within the horny foot; in many cases both the high and the low ringbones are coexistent. Ringbones vary in size, but the degree of lameness does not depend upon the mere size of the new formation. Very often the 'ring' may be a mere segment appearing only upon the side of the limb; in other cases it may completely envelop the whole circumference. Ringbones are hereditary, and it is unwise to breed from an animal having a ringbone.
The treatment should be complete rest, fomentations and poultices at first, and afterwards blistering, firing; and in cases that do not give way to these remedies the 'nerve operation' should be performed.