Hi Joeblack! Glad to meet you.
There’s a lot going on there.
~ Is the horse lame?
~ If so, have you tried hoof testers to see where the pain is?
~ Is there rough/abraded skin, as in a case of scratches?
~ Is there a reason his heels are so long?
I’m sure others will have plenty of other questions.
Welcome to the forum!
Short answer is maybe?
Long answer is we need more details please. Is the horse lame? If yes, how lame? How did the lameness progress/ how long has the horse been lame? Have you used hoof testers? Does the horse normally wear bell boots or any other boots that may cover that area? Or was it wrapped prior to taking this picture?
On a related note - it looks like your horse’s heels are quite contracted and tall. I would be highly suspicious of thrush in that “buttcrack” and would be interested to see more photos of the hoof.
Also:
~ Is there heat in the foot?
~ How about a very pronounced pulse?
(I wish this new, not-so-chatty poster would come back. I’m really curious now.)
