Mystic Equine

Another awesome image of a very successful racer in Florida. Thank you Erika Akire for sharing and for trusting in Trinity Horseshoes to keep Adele performing at her peak.

Wow! Just WOW!

Thank you Dr Kellon for speaking on this topic it’s important for the wellbeing of all horses

ECIR Consensus Statement On Hoofing Marvelous What follows is a consensus statement from the nonprofit Equine Cushing’s and Insulin Resistance Group Inc. I am the owner of the ECIR group, now on groups .io, which gave rise to the nonprof…

The photograph shows an ungular (collateral) cartilage model - Amber plastic like structure- from a three-dimensional distal limb model created by Professor Christopher Pollitt. It’s sitting on a coffin bone.

I often use his models to demonstrate soft tissue anatomy, and this is a useful visual for understanding how the ungular cartilage sits in relation to the coffin bone.

It’s not a perfect fit in this model, but it gives a good overall impression.

What’s particularly interesting is that the ungular cartilage doesn’t just “sit there.” It has specific ligamentous attachments to other structures, including the extensor tendon and the pastern bones.

Historically, these cartilages were thought to have very limited attachments—essentially just arising from the palmar processes of the coffin bone. But following the pioneering work of Professor Denoix we now know that distinct ligaments are present.

So this raises a question for me:

Why is sidebone so often dismissed as insignificant?

If the ungular cartilages have defined attachments and functional roles—and they must, because biological structures are not maintained without purpose—then changes within them deserve more attention than they’re often given.

We also have work from Professor Bowker highlighting their importance, and KC LaPierre has long considered them a critical component of the foot.

So perhaps it’s time we stop thinking of them as passive structures… and start asking what happens when they change.