It may not seem like it, but horses have the ability to become bruised just as people do. A bruise is the body’s natural response to a trauma, meaning that if a particular area is traumatized in any way, the chances of a bruise coming up are rather high.

Bruising is not normally a serious issue, although frequent and easy bruising may indicate a bigger problem with your horse’s health. In most cases, there is no need to even see a veterinarian when your horse has a bruise.

Symptoms and Types

• Pain
• Swelling
• Skin discoloration
• A warm or hot feeling in the affected area
• Ruptured blood vessels (e.g., hematoma)

A common type of bruise that affects horses is “bruised sole,” also called “stone bruise” by experienced horse owners. This is a type of bruise that results from the horse walking over rough, hard ground, and which may lead to lameness. Needless to say, this is the type of condition that usually affects working horses and athletic horses more than farm horses, as they are subjected to more strenuous walking conditions.

Causes

Trauma to a particular area is normally to blame for any bruises on your horse. This can be something as simple as playing with other horses or an accident with its human caretaker. “Bruised sole,” on the other hand, is generally a result of careless treading over unusually hard or uneven terrain.

Diagnosis

A run of the mill bruise on a horse is usually easily diagnosed, either by you or by a veterinarian. A simple bruise is nothing to worry too much about, especially when you you know what caused the bruise. Frequent bruising, however, may be a sign of something more serious and should be checked by a veterinarian.

Treatment

Treatment of a bruise (or a “bruised sole”) is easy; the most important step being applying cold to the area as soon after the initial trauma as possible. Depending on the size of the bruise and its location, an ice pack or a cold water hosing may be sufficient. This helps alleviate the pain almost immediately.

With bruised sole or other more serious bruises, antibiotic ointment, as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), may be administered to further alleviate the pain.

Living and Management

Resting the horse is important for the healing of bruises. It normally takes no more than a week to ten days for a bruise to occur and heal.

Prevention

If it is known, removal of the object that has caused the bruising is a good way to prevent future recurrences.