This is a young filly who has been turned out on pasture for the last two months after buying her started under saddle. Her feet show bruising on the outside hoof wall up high. What would cause this? Possible solutions?
Banging her coronary band?
Laminitic event?
could she be pawing near a fence or gate at feed time?
It looks like some the the bruising is on a hind foot.
My first thought wouldn’t be pawing.
She has some prominent rings going on - do you know what event caused those? (is that when she got turned out to pasture?)
Could she have had a laminic event? Here is an article on Low Grade Laminitis - with examples showing bruised hoof walls like you have:
Since there’s what looks like bruising on the band itself (at least in pic 3 - the other two look a little more like it’s all on the wall), I’d guess she got stepped on while rough housing or thwacked her foot good on something (fence post? Auto waterer?). Is she off on it at all or is it just the discoloration you’re worried about?
As long as she’s moving fine, I wouldn’t worry about it - if there’s any lameness involved, I’d go ahead and have an X-ray done just to rule out any possible crack or ossification/sidebone issues.
Hind hoof which is what it looks like in the one picture and shod all around? Hitting herself is what I would guess, hindfoot being whacked by front foot. Why is a young filly shod, is there something going on with her feet?
The one photo is a hind hoof. There may be some bruising on the other hooves, but as they are dark, it is hard to distinguish. She is sore on that front foot. We put front shoes on her yesterday to see if she might be more comfortable. Hind feet are still barefoot. We have only owned her about 3 months, and turned her out shortly after acquisition because she was awfully young to be started under saddle (in my opinion.)
It seems fairly clear to me there are some pressure points. There are definite changes in angles part way down the foot - stresses get placed when there are flares, or other areas that are too long but don’t flare, so the stress has no where to go but up.
My horses have white feet and with that you can see more than on a black hoof.
One of my horses had colic surgery four months ago and he has these “bruises” that follow the cornet band down about 1 1/2 inches - which vet and farrier feel is about three to four months of hoof growth down. They discussed that a full length hoof is about a years time which will give you some guide line as to when the even occurred.
It could be a bang on a gate etc; but IMHO since it is on more than one hoof I would think metabolic/inflammation related.
We feel the rings on my horses front hooves may be from medications during colic surgery, stress and feed changes/limitations.
Did your horse have any feed changes? Medications? Stress? Farrier changes? It looks like it was about 5 to 6 months ago…
If your horse is happy and sound I would just keep an eye on it and discuss it with your vet and farrier…
She said the mare is sore on the front. Looks like laminitis to me, not just the bruising, but the shape of the hoof and the rings as welll. Then your lameness to me confirms it.
[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;8194543]
She said the mare is sore on the front. Looks like laminitis to me, not just the bruising, but the shape of the hoof and the rings as welll. Then your lameness to me confirms it.[/QUOTE]
Oh I missed that… 
Saw the rings on the front. But what could cause the blood pooling/inflammation in the hind too??? Feed?!
When did you start shoeing her?
Agree w/JB, looks like jamming (pressure) which could have been caused by
poor angles, excess sole/bars, hard use with poorly trimmed hooves or high heels or even ridden on hard surfaces.
Would like to see photos of the sole area of all hooves.
[QUOTE=Marla 100;8195006]
Agree w/JB, looks like jamming (pressure) which could have been caused by
poor angles, excess sole/bars, hard use with poorly trimmed hooves or high heels or even ridden on hard surfaces.
Would like to see photos of the sole area of all hooves.[/QUOTE]
If it was caused by trimming it seems odd it would create a founder ring and happen on the hind hoof (or) hooves as well.
But were all assuming because we cannot see the horse 
I would be interested to hear if the OP has the vet out what they diagnose the horse with…
The “founder ring” can easily be caused by unbalanced trimming. I don’t see a ring caused by founder nearly as much as I see a ring caused by inappropriate pressure. Not guaranteed, but founder rings tend to show dramatically more heel growth than toe growth, and these rings are fairly parallel to the coronet band - a little faster growth at the heel, but that’s typical in most feet.
Hind feet, front feet, any inappropriate pressure can cause these rings and that bruising
This is what I am wondering, JB. When I look at the laminitic bruising, it shows a ring-like bruising versus the patchy bruising I’m seeing in her feet. She is still sore with a set of front shoes, and a hind trim, but her feet were rather uneven/flared and upright hoof. Perhaps this trim/shoeing will help with a little more of a balanced hoof. I also wonder if the issue wasn’t exacerbated by poor feet coupled with starting her under saddle and the extra pressure of a rider? Certainly all possibilities are worth looking into…
quote “her feet were uneven, flared and upright hooves”- there you go.
The jamming causing bruising and the rings COULD be two separate issues.
If her feet were neglected prior to your getting her, her feed, lifestyle, etc. could also have been neglected.
Lots of various things can cause rings on hooves. And when the horse was not in your possession it becomes a guessing game as to what caused it.
