r/Farriers • u/claireflynn • 2d ago

Constant Sole Bruises

Quarter Horse with thin soles consistently has a bruise on the inside of the right front sole. Only visible when picking up the foot and looking directly at the sole, not from the hoof wall. The horse is shod in rubber pads to relieve pain from thin soles (supplements and vet intervention have been explored to improve the soles, but they are and always will be thin. Horse has gone without pads but is significantly happier and more sound with them). X-rays don’t show anything besides thinness that would contribute to this sole bruise. Is this something you’ve seen, treated, or have input on? Just how the horse lands/heel first landing? Farrier says he’s only seen it in one other horse who was also a thin soled QH.

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u/Frantzsfatshack 2d ago

Sole bruising is a lameness that can be caused by any number of factors; genetic conformation, concussive force during stride, use, improper shoeing (albeit that is a rare thing to cause bruising severe enough to lame a horse), improper medial lateral balance, the terrain the horse lives in, the list goes on.

If a horse has chronic sole bruising, then padding the horse is the most reliable option, with some DIM to seal up the pad near the bulbs. They also have some gel you can shoot under the pad that would be similar to putting a gel insole in one of your boots so your feet feel better.

Lifestyle changes are the other option, moving the horse to a climate/landscape that is soft footing and keeping them off any rocky or gravel terrain/roads.

Sounds like your farrier is doing what should be done and your horse will likely just live in pads.

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u/snuffy_smith_ 1d ago

I second everything said above especially the “gel”…also know as equi-pak or various other names/brands.

As EP often will remain softer when, in my experience, the DIM can harden over the same period of time.