Have you consulted with your vet? There’s no reason a foal can’t have x-rays as long as the vet or clinic is equipped to do it.
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Yes both vet and farrier think that it IS a hoof bruise
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So😭 a month ago my 6 months old was lame on his right front, he was bearing weight, looked normal in walk but definitely lame AT trot. No swelling anywhere and no fever. The farrier came and thought hoof bruise as hé was sensitive with hoof tester. A week later thé vet was There and also told me possible hoof bruise. Told me to wait a couple of weeks and see if There IS improvement. The foal was trotting better so i presumed that it was that. Now hé s lame again, same lameness, still no swelling and vet IS coming in one week to do same xrays. I am worried, it could bé anything or something really Bad like a cyst and wait for a week IS reeeaaalllly long. My question is, could a hoof bruise Come and go and last for so long? Maybe an abcess? But hé s bearing weight on thé leg, so i thought maybe not an abcess. Would ocd or cyst présent with swelling on a joint? Maybe someone had expérience with these kind of lameness in foals? Thank you
I’d get the vet back out or a second opinion
Yes hé s coming but have to wait 10 days m’y question IS, Can a hoof bruise last for so long? And the lameness Comes and goes? Tia
Yes. A hoof bruise can last months in some cases. I wouldn’t assume hoof bruise on a young horse though and would be looking for an abscess or possible soft tissue injury.
I sold a 6 mo old foal last year that came up lame the day after we signed the paperwork 
He was very lame on a front limb at walk. No signs of injury, swelling or heat. We scheduled a vet appointment but had to wait a few days. During that time he improved dramatically and lameness was barely detectable at the trot.
Vet came and palpated the limb, used hoof testers, did very tiny bit of flexion to see if we could reproduce the lameness and nothing. He did not react to the hoof testers at that time. Farrier came out a week or so later and did find a discolored area on the sole that indicated a hoof bruise.
Foal went to his new home at the end of the month, and the next time it rained he came up lame again on that same leg. Took him in to the vet clinic this time, and again was significantly improved after a couple days and could not reproduce the lameness. No reaction to hoof testers. New owner decided against x rays since he was no longer lame.
Fast forward a couple of months, and foal blew a big abscess out that hoof. My guess is that he seriously bruised it that first time he came up lame, or possibly stepped on something that did not leave a big mark. It would get aggravated any time the ground got wet/muddy, and he was slowly brewing that abscess that would cause the on/off lameness issues. He seems to be doing fine now that the abscess is drained.
I don’t like to wait around with lameness in foals especially, but from my experience a hoof bruise can cause issues and on/off lameness for months. Since there was on indication of any other issues in that limb and he got better every time within 24 hours, we did not do any x rays/investigating joints. Also never had a fever or other indication of illness.
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Oh thanks why more an abcess than a hoof bruise ? And an abcess it would have burst allready no?
Yes i m getting paranoid not knowing and imagining all kind of stuff like Bone cyst or pedal Bone fracture, hopefully it s liké yours only an abcess but hé s only lame AT trot and walking normal .waiting for thé vet IS very long🙄
I don’t know your set up but typically goals are in a fairly well controlled space where there’s a lower likelihood of cantering or trotting over gnarly rocks. Most bone bruises I’ve seen where from working over rock or getting out and bolting.
Hi, so i took thé weanling to thé vet, the xray showed a fracture of thé pedal Bone. Vet told this had a good prognosis, has to bé shod with orthopedic shoes. Someone had something similar with their weanling? Did it heal? AT least i have now a diagnosis, tia
Glad you got answers. I’ve of mine did hers as a yearling. She was diagnosed quickly and put in 6 months of stall rest followed by water rehab. She had a long career and zero issues on that foot but I don’t know how much the speed of intervention helped vs in general young horses rebounding well. Did your vet have any insight into typical outcomes?
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Hé Saïd very good outcome
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When I managed a TB farm we had a lame foal about 15yrs ago. Treated it like a bruised foot, but foal was very lame for 2 weeks. Called vet to x-ray. Vet showed us a line on the x-ray at the toe and diagnosed it as a fractured coffin bone, wanted to cast the foot.
Farrier came and hour later and saw xrays, said vet is stupid this is an abscess tract…if you looked VERY closely, you could see the “fracture” line went slightly above the coffin bone… no way it was a fx. Three days later the abscess popped out the coronet band, filly was sound and went on to sell for 150k as a 2yo.
Personally, I prefer my farrier to consult on all foot xrays. 
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