# Sore Feet in Horses: Causes, Care, and When to Call the Vet Sore feet are one of the most common reasons a horse goes lame, and most cases trace back to the hoof itself: a bruise, an abscess, or inflammation inside the foot. To help a horse with sore feet, you need to know what the foot actually is, what your horse stands on, and how to tell a minor problem from a serious one. This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment. ## Quick Answer - A horse's "foot" is the hoof plus everything inside it, including the coffin bone, the navicular bone, tendons, and the sensitive tissues that make the hard shell [1]. - The most common cause of sudden, severe lameness in horses is a foot abscess, which is a pocket of infection under the sole [2]. - Soaking the foot and giving pain medication are standard first steps for an abscess, but many need to be opened by a vet or farrier to drain [2]. - Regular trimming every 4 to 8 weeks keeps the hoof balanced and helps you catch cracks, thrush, and white line disease early [3]. - Call your vet the same day if your horse is unwilling to bear weight, has a hot or swollen foot, or is not improving after a few days of soaking [2]. ## What a Horse's Foot Actually Is People often ask whether horses have feet or hooves. They have both. The hoof is the hard outer shell, and the foot is everything inside it. That includes the coffin bone (also called the distal phalanx), the navicular bone, the deep digital flexor tendon, the digital cushion, and the sensitive laminae that bond the bone to the hoof wall [1]. Your horse walks on the equivalent of a single toenail. There is no fleshy pad like a dog's paw. That is why the sole and the hoof wall take so much load, and why a small injury inside the hoof can cause a big lameness. The foot is one of the most common sources of lameness in horses [1]. Conditions that affect the bony and soft tissue structures inside the hoof include osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint, navicular syndrome, and fractures of the distal phalanx. Conditions that affect the hoof itself include laminitis, keratomas, canker, and hoof wall cracks [1]. ## What Do Horses Wear on Their Feet? Left barefoot, a horse simply stands on its own hooves. Many horses work fine that way, especially on soft ground. When owners ask what do horses wear on their feet, the answer is shoes. Steel shoes are nailed to the hoof wall, not into sensitive tissue, and they protect the sole from wear and add traction on hard or rocky footing. Other options include glue-on shoes, pads between the shoe and sole, and composite or wooden shoes used for specific medical problems. Wooden shoes have been used successfully to manage chronic laminitis. In one reported case, an 11-year-old American Quarter Horse mare with rotation and distal displacement of the third phalanx in both front feet was treated with wooden clogs and the lameness was managed successfully [4]. This is a specialized treatment your vet and farrier would decide together. ## Signs Your Horse Has Sore Feet ### What you will see - Lameness that ranges from a slight head bob to refusing to walk. - A shortened stride, especially at the trot. - Reluctance to turn, or turning wide on one side. - Lying down more than usual. - Heat in the hoof wall or a pounding digital pulse. - Shifting weight from foot to foot when standing still. ### What you can feel Run your hands down each leg and compare sides. Feel for heat in the hoof and swelling at the coronet (the hairline where the hoof meets the skin). Press the sole gently with your thumb. A horse with a subsolar abscess often flinches when you press directly over the infected spot [2]. A hoof tester, the pincer tool your vet or farrier uses, can pinpoint a painful area. Careful palpation of the heels and coronet plus hoof tester use helps locate an abscess, which may drain at the sole, the heel bulbs, or the coronet [2]. ## Causes and Risk Factors ### Abscesses and bruises Foot abscesses, also called sole or subsolar abscesses, are the most common cause of lameness in horses [2]. Hooves are exposed to mud and manure and pick up tiny cracks from constant use, so bacterial infection gets in [2]. Lameness is often severe until the abscess ruptures or is opened to drain [2]. Sole bruises come from stepping on a stone, working on hard ground, or wearing thin soles. Bruises hurt but usually improve with rest and padding. ### Laminitis Laminitis is inflammation of the sensitive laminae inside the hoof. It is one of the conditions owners should learn to recognize early, because treatment and diet changes work best when started right away [3]. Insulin dysregulation causing high insulin levels is responsible for more than 90 percent of laminitis cases in the general horse and pony population [5]. That means diet and metabolic management matter as much as hoof care. Pasture sugar content shifts with the season. In one study of horses with a laminitis history, water-soluble carbohydrates in pasture peaked in May at 126.8 g/kg dry matter and dropped to 57.9 g/kg by October, while starch measured 0.1 g/kg in May, 25.8 g/kg in July, and 24.0 g/kg in October [6]. The authors highlighted starch as a possible predictor of the blood sugar response in laminitic horses [6]. If your horse has a laminitis history, talk to your vet about grazing management through the year. ### Other causes Navicular syndrome, joint arthritis in the foot, distal phalanx fractures, keratomas, canker, thrush, white line disease, and hoof wall cracks can all make a horse sore [1]. Muscle pain elsewhere in the body can also change how a horse lands on its feet. A review of myofascial trigger points argues these hypersensitive spots in muscle can be a primary cause of gait asymmetry and pain behavior in horses, and that referred pain can mimic problems lower in the limb [7]. If the feet keep testing normal but your horse stays off, the answer may be higher up the leg or in the back. ## How Sore Feet Are Diagnosed Your vet starts with the history: when the lameness began, what changed in turnout, feed, or workload, and whether the horse has had laminitis before. Next comes the hands-on exam. The vet palpates the legs, checks digital pulses, and uses hoof testers to find a painful spot in the sole, heels, or coronet [2]. Nerve blocks can localize the pain to a specific part of the foot. Imaging comes next when needed. Radiographs show bone position, rotation of the coffin bone, and fractures. In cases of suspected foot abscess that are not resolving, x-rays or more advanced imaging may be required [2]. Reference measurements for foot conformation have been described for Miniature Horses and Ponies, which helps vets assess small breeds accurately [8]. | Problem | Typical sign | First step | Who usually handles it | |---|---|---|---| | Sole bruise | Sore on hard ground, no heat | Rest, soft footing, pad | Farrier, vet if worse | | Foot abscess | Sudden severe lameness, heat, pulse | Soak, pain relief, drain | Vet or farrier | | Laminitis | Both front feet sore, reluctant to move | Vet exam, radiographs, diet change | Vet | | Hoof crack | Visible split in wall | Trim and balance | Farrier | | Navicular syndrome | Gradual heel pain, worse on hard ground | Vet exam, imaging | Vet | ## Treatment Options ### Abscesses Soaking the foot and pain medication are standard treatments [2]. Soaking softens the sole and encourages drainage. Your vet will calculate the right pain medication and dose based on your horse's weight and health. Never give a medication from your own cabinet without asking, because some common human pain relievers are toxic to horses. If the abscess does not drain on its own, your vet or farrier can open a tract through the sole to release the pus. Because hooves are hard tissue, it can take several days, and in the worst cases weeks, for the infection to clear [2]. ### Laminitis Laminitis treatment combines hoof support, pain control, and fixing the underlying cause. For horses with high insulin levels, management changes come first. When those are not enough, veterinarians sometimes use sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors off label. In Canada, canagliflozin is the most available option for equine vets, commonly given orally at 0.6 mg/kg once daily, though dosing protocols have not been well validated in horses [5]. A case report found insulin levels in one horse with hyperinsulinemia and severe laminitis could be kept within normal limits using every other day oral treatment [5]. This is a decision for your veterinarian, not a do-it-yourself protocol. ### Mechanical support Pads, impression material, glue-on shoes, and in some cases wooden clogs can redistribute load away from painful areas. Wooden shoes have been used successfully as part of chronic laminitis treatment in a general practice setting [4]. ### Other foot problems Cracks, thrush, and white line disease respond to trimming, cleaning, and topical care, and they are easiest to fix when caught early [3]. For a deeper look at how these hoof conditions are worked up and treated, see [Equine Hoof and Foot Conditions: Diagnosis and Treatment](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/equine-care/equine-hoof-foot-conditions-diagnosis-treatment). ## Recovery, Outlook, and Long-Term Management Most simple abscesses resolve once they drain, though it can take days to weeks [2]. Bruises usually settle with rest and padding. Laminitis is a longer project, and some horses need lifelong management. Good trimming at regular intervals of 4 to 8 weeks produces good hoof and leg balance [3]. In young foals, weanlings, and yearlings, frequent trimming supports proper weight bearing and bone alignment, and a balanced foot early in life helps avoid lameness and injuries later [3]. Soundness means more than the absence of visible lameness. A sound horse can better meet the demands of physical and mental activity in any discipline [3]. That is the goal to keep in mind as you manage a horse with a history of sore feet. ## Prevention: How to Care for Horses' Feet - Schedule trims every 4 to 8 weeks so balance stays correct and small problems get caught early [3]. - Pick out the feet daily and check for stones, punctures, and odor. - Keep stalls and paddocks clean to limit mud and manure exposure, which is where abscess bacteria come from [2]. - Manage turnout on lush pasture carefully if your horse has a laminitis history, since pasture carbohydrate levels change with the season [6]. - Watch body condition and talk to your vet about testing for insulin dysregulation, the driver behind most laminitis cases [5]. - Learn the early signs of laminitis so treatment and diet changes can start as soon as possible [3]. - Work with your farrier and vet as a team, especially if your horse needs pads, special shoes, or wooden clogs [4]. ## Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian Some foot problems are farrier territory. A loose shoe, a long toe, a minor crack, or a horse that is a little short-strided on hard ground usually improves with a trim and shoeing change. Other signs need a vet. Call the same day if your horse is unwilling to bear weight on one leg, has a bounding digital pulse, heat in the hoof, or swelling at the coronet. Call right away, as an emergency, if your horse is rocking back on its hind feet to take weight off both front feet, is lying down and will not get up, or has a punctured sole from a nail or wire. Call for a routine visit if the lameness is mild but has lasted more than a few days, if an abscess has not drained after several days of soaking, or if your horse keeps having repeat abscesses [2]. Every horse is an individual, and a veterinarian who examines your horse in person is the only one who can diagnose and treat it properly. If your horse is limping and you are unsure whether it is an emergency, the guidance in [Dog Limping: When to See a Vet and When to Wait](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/vet-visit-decisions/dog-limping-when-to-see-vet) walks through the same decision logic for a different species. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do horses have feet? Yes. A horse's foot is the whole structure inside the hoof, including the coffin bone, navicular bone, tendons, and the sensitive laminae that hold the bone to the wall. The hoof is only the hard outer shell. ### What do horses wear on their feet? Most working horses wear steel shoes nailed to the hoof wall. Others go barefoot, and some wear glue-on shoes, pads, or composite and wooden shoes for medical reasons. ### Can I treat a hoof abscess at home? You can start by soaking the foot and keeping it clean, which are standard first steps. If your horse is very lame or not improving, a vet or farrier needs to find and open the abscess so it can drain. ### How long does a hoof abscess take to heal? It varies a lot. Some drain and settle within a few days, while severe cases can take weeks before the infection fully clears. If it is not resolving, imaging may be needed. ### Can sore feet in horses be prevented? Often, yes. Regular trims, daily hoof picking, clean footing, and careful diet management for horses with metabolic problems go a long way toward keeping feet comfortable and sound. ## Related Articles - [Equine Hoof and Foot Conditions: Diagnosis and Treatment](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/equine-care/equine-hoof-foot-conditions-diagnosis-treatment) - [Dog Urinating Frequently: Causes and When to Call the Vet](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/digestive-and-urinary-care/dog-urinating-frequently-causes-when-to-call-vet) - [Dog Limping on a Back Leg: When to See a Vet and When to Rest](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/vet-visit-decisions/dog-limping-back-leg-when-to-see-vet) - [Dog Hot Spot on Leg: How to Treat and When to See a Vet](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/skin-allergy-and-ear-care/dog-hot-spot-on-leg-treatment) - [Dog Limping: When to See a Vet and When to Wait](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/vet-visit-decisions/dog-limping-when-to-see-vet) - [Dog Limping After a Walk: When to Rest and When to See the Vet](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/vet-visit-decisions/dog-limping-after-walk-when-to-rest-and-when-to-see-the-vet) ## References 1. [Overview of Disorders of the Foot in Horses - Musculoskeletal System](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/disorders-of-the-foot-in-horses/overview-of-disorders-of-the-foot-in-horses). Merck Veterinary Manual. 2. [Disorders of the Foot in Horses - Horse Owners](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/horse-owners/bone-joint-and-muscle-disorders-in-horses/disorders-of-the-foot-in-horses). Merck Veterinary Manual. 3. [Foot Care of Horses - Management and Nutrition](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/preventative-health-care-and-husbandry-of-horses/foot-care-of-horses). Merck Veterinary Manual. 4. [Use of wooden shoes for the treatment of chronic laminitis in an American quarter horse](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42699380/). The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 2026. 5. [Canagliflozin treatment of a horse with hyperinsulinemia, including pharmacokinetic analysis of different dosing protocols: a case report](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42516305/). Frontiers in veterinary science, 2026. 6. [The Effect of Seasonal Changes in Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Pasture on the Metabolic Profile of Horses with Laminitis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41594457/). Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2026. 7. [Myofascial trigger points as a primary cause of equine lameness: a biomechanical, neurophysiological, and fascial review](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42245972/). Frontiers in veterinary science, 2026. 8. [Radiographic measurements of Miniature Horse and Miniature Pony Feet](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41177197/). Journal of equine veterinary science, 2025. ## Further Reading - [Merck Veterinary Manual: Horse Owners](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/horse-owners)