ring bone - painful inflammation

Question
Hello ma'am. Is Ring bone a painful inflammation of the coffin bone in horses? Daily I am trotting a mare which has a ring bone on one of its fore legs. I dont think so she's lame. She trots and canters sound.

Answer
Ringbone is not an inflammation of the coffin bone(bone does not become inflamed). Ringbone is a painful calcification (excess and pathological bone growth) at the pastern joint (high ringbone) or the coffin joint (low ringbone). A horse diagnosed with this progressive osteo-arthritic condition needs ongoing pain medication and should be retired. It is terribly painful and progressive.