How is a bruised sole diagnosed?
Most commonly, the horse may become suddenly lame or may appear to recover but be lame again the next day. The lameness usually affects one leg only and pain can often be located by your farrier or veterinarian with pressure carefully applied with hoof testers. Once the area of sole pain has been established, sole paring over this area reveals a visible bruise, i.e. a reddened area of sole. In some cases, the strength of the pulse in the heel arteries (digital pulse) may be increased, when palpated with a finger, and the feet may appear warm to the touch.
