Hoof sole penetration injuries are no small matter, though they might be nearly indiscernible to the eye and affect a small area. It’s more about what’s going on deep inside the hoof, where concealed damage to internal structures can be disastrous; the prognosis for horses injuring these structures to return to their prior athletic level is often bleak, and some horses might even require euthanasia if sepsis takes hold.

“The term ‘solar foot penetration’ can be used to describe a number of injuries, ranging from a simple nail prick following farriery and injuries involving just the horn of the foot and the digital cushion, through to deep injuries involving important structures such as the tendons and joints within the foot,” explained Judith Findley, BSc, BVM&S, Cert AVP (ES-O), MRCVS, of the University of Liverpool, in England. “Our study focused solely on those injuries which involved the joints and bursa of the foot (synovial structures).”

The team analyzed data from 95 cases with penetrating injuries to the coffin joint, navicular bursa, or digital flexor tendon sheath at four veterinary hospitals in the United Kingdom, and found that only 56% of the horses survived treatment and were discharged. Of those recovering to discharge, 57% returned to pre-injury athletic function. In total, only 36% of horses in this study returned to full performance ability