# Any experts on stone bruises?



## GypsyTally921 (May 14, 2009)

I don't have too much experience with stone bruises but everything I've heard is that it can take a while to heal; sometimes until the hoof where the bruise was grows out. However, if he's still lame from it you shouldn't really be working him til he moves better, you'll probably just make it worse. I'd give him a vacation til he's definitely not in pain anymore. 

Stone bruises can cause abcesses which can also be painful and cause lameness until they are either cut out or grow out.


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

Stone bruises can take days to months to heal, depending on the location and severity of the bruise, and how deep in the hoof the tissue is bruised. If he didn't have shoes on before, but has hinds on now as a result of this, he also could be walking somewhat awkwardly based on adjusting to being shod when he hasn't before (or hasn't in a while). Either way, bruises can take time to heal and the less you aggravate them (less you ride) the sooner they will heal. 

It's just like a person - if you bruise your foot, put pads in your shoes, but keep jogging on it, it's going to take a lot longer to heal than if you rested. Just keep an eye on it and go from there - take it easy until it is healed. Also note that a bruise can damage the hoof and cause an abscess depending on how sensitive your horse is. I have a TB that will abscess if the wind blow the wrong way lol until I got him on a good hoof supp and good shoes on his feet.

Good luck!


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## MoonlightEm (Feb 17, 2008)

Thanks, your info was reassuring. I haven't gotten any help/advice at the barn from the owner. In fact, she gave me a lesson on him last weekend and by the end I could tell he was in pain - limping badly. I board because I need assistance. I'll give him more rest and hope that works. Thanks again.


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

Glad to help! Bute can also help for a few days but I shy away from too much/too regularly because aside from stomach issues, it will also mask the pain causing the horse to act more sound than they actually are, which can again result in prolonging the bruising.

Good luck, give him some rest, and take it easy and he'll be better in no time! If he's slow to heal you can also try boa boots or easy boots over the shoes for now. There's also stuff like Keratex that works well in my opinion to help harden the hoof wall - all good options - though really the R&R and time off tends to get the job done best


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

MoonlightEm said:


> Thanks, your info was reassuring. I haven't gotten any help/advice at the barn from the owner. In fact, she gave me a lesson on him last weekend and by the end I could tell he was in pain - limping badly. I board because I need assistance. I'll give him more rest and hope that works. Thanks again.


If your barn owner had you riding a lame/bruised horse, then that's probably not the kind of help you should be getting...

Give him a full week off, then check his soundness again. If he's not improved, then I'd have the vet out to check for a possible abscess.


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

also what you can do to try and prevent an abcess and def helf with making him comfortable is if he'll let you soak his fee in epsom salt, i used to have to do that for my old mare a couple times a week it feels nice to them to put their feet in nice warm water


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## LDblackhorse (Nov 26, 2008)

Hi there.
I have lots of experiance with stone bruises. the weirdest one I ever delt with came out thourh the coranet bad.

either way the best thing is to soak your horses foot in epsom salt. Just once a day for a week.

the next step would be to get some hoof packing some good brands for brusing include Rabbits magic cushion or finnish line medicated poultice.

to use just get a four peices of paper cut them to you horse hoof size and put a ice cream scoop size on the papaer and put in the feet. the rabbit formula is very sticky so you will need gloves and a good spoon just apply derectly to the hoof. this will help draw out the brusing. but make sure to take it out the next day or no longer then two days. Just remeber do not do for more then a week you do not want to make the feet to soft. just soft enough . this will help with the pain

.hope this helps I work with many thourghbreds at the track so i have to deal with this on a dalily basis.

Also as a helpful hint to all. if you do alot of riding on the road or hard surfaces. Maybe your horse did a long day of competion or your blacksmith just shod your horse. there is nothing wrong with packing your feet after. You can use just a regular hoof packing my favorite is Forshners. it will help allivate hoof pain. just make sure to take it out in the next day or two.
Your horse will be much apperciated for it.

Hope this helps


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## MoonlightEm (Feb 17, 2008)

Thanks all! Something isn't making sense to me. BO says he's perfectly sound chasing his turnout partner around during the day when I'm not there. The bruises are in the back feet but he limps on the right front! I rode him today and he was good at the walk and being fresh on the trail (we stuck to grassy, soft ones) trying to play with the horse in front of him. I had to get after him a few times to behave.
BO suggested that maybe it's still my western saddle pinching in. I've only had it for a month and bought it because my old one was too narrow for him. I thought this one fit him. She said to ride only in a wide saddle (I have an English one) for a week and eliminate the idea that the saddle may be pinching his back. Could this be making him limpy on the right front? She said to try it and if it doesn't help, then call the vet. He's certainly happy and spunky, not feeling poorly so I don't think it's anything too horrible. Also he has a huge appetite. Saddle? Maybe?


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

Saddle could be it. Do you have access to an equine chiropractor, preferably one that is a licensed vet? A good chiro can check your saddles and his back/withers/shoulders for any soreness.


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

As far as the "fine when turned out" goes, I have an appy who will gimp on rocks when he was shod. But, when he was wanting to trot home he had no trouble. So, that doesn't mean there isn't an issue. Extra weight of the rider and riding on a harder surface can certainly make the gimp much more noticable. You can give him a small dose of bute if he's very sore, but I wouldn't be doing that in order to ride. Doesn't sound like he needs it on turnout so why bother. You might want to boot him with a drawing agent like sugardine to draw out any soreness. This helps with thrush, whiteline greebles and abscesses.. You can make a duct tape boot for this and leave it on a couple days at a time. It may fall off by then anyway. That's what I do when we have a tender hoof and can't find a cause. Doesn't hurt anyway.


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## MoonlightEm (Feb 17, 2008)

That it is a great suggestion Appy T. I'd never heard of sugardine. Anyways, the mystery continues. It can't be the saddle. I rode him in a nice wide one today and he was really off. Thankfully, the BO saw him and so she now knows what I've been trying to tell her. She's still thinking he is stepping on stones and keeping the injury going. I also had a long talk with BO's mother, who knows alot. She thinks it could be thrush. The blacksmith ruled that out last time he shoed him but BO mom said sometimes it doesn't really show up - no smell, no color. Another horse at our barn had similar issues. Couldn't find a cause until an old race track vet saw the horse move and after ten strides said, "that horse has thrush." The same blacksmith couldn't find any sign of it. The horse was treated for thrush and has been sound ever since. I guess I'm just hoping that it could something so simple. Anyways I began putting thrush buster on him today. He has pads, but it can still penetrate underneath. I want my riding partner back!!


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## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

Oh, dear. Please don't use thrush meds like ThrushBuster for a preventative. The only thing I think is suitable as a preventative is a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar and water,50/50. Most preps you find are harsh, kill healthy tissue and make it MORE susceptable to thrush! Also, there is potential that he has thrush that is hard to detect,but is almost never in sound hind feet without also being in the front. A test for that, is if your horses's frogs look like they have a tight crack in the middle at the heel bulbs instead of a nice, wide valley, and he flinches with pressure from a hoof pick probing.

Saddle fit can still be the problem. If it's pinched enough, there could be lingering soreness, no matter what saddle you use until it's healed. Look for dry spots around his withers and shoulders if the rest of his back is sweaty when you unsaddle, that's a good indicator of pinching. Also, palpating that spot, may induce a flinch, further indicating soreness. A good test for the saddle? Take an old coat hanger, take the hook off, and mold the wire to the underside of the saddle, where the suspect dry spot would be in contact on the horse. Then, careful to make sure it doesn't warp in transit, set it on the corresponding place on the horse's back, if it doesn't rest, touching evenly the whole way, then you know the saddle is pinching. And an overly wide saddle may rest on his spine, causing a whole new pain while ridden.

These bruises on his back feet, are they just pink/black spots on his sole? Dark spots are often times just the hoof pigment and mean nothing at all. Pink spots indicate trauma, but by the time you see them, the pain is probably long gone. If they are suspected the farrier can find the painful spot and direct you in the proper treatment for the situation. Again, its usually not the hinds that suffer, but fronts when issues come up.

If it seems his right front is aggrevated when you ride, but not at liberty, there could be some pulled muscle that is aggrevated by extra weight, the saddle, or just a confrmational weakness. The hoof/shoe will shoe unusual wear and a farrier should notice that and investigate. Also, could be an abscess that is brewing and the weight from a rider is once again just enough to make it ouchy. A few day so off probably wouldn't hurt, regardless, to give whatever it is time to heal before riding again. In the meantime, ground work can improve your relationship and keep him fit and willing. Riding a horse that is limping usually leads to some sour attitudes, so it would benefit you to give him a break and look into again if it doesn't go away after a good rest.


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