Should I be concerned?

[PASOFAN]

Went to see my boys. Chico and storms white hooves were bruised. I think it is because of the hard frozen ground. Should I be concerned?

http://www.2hottotrot.com/data/500/BRUISED_HOOF_3_1-06.JPG

http://www.2hottotrot.com/data/500/BRUISED_HOOF_1-06.JPG

http://www.2hottotrot.com/data/500/BRUISED_HOFF_2_1-06.JPG

Neither one show signed of being lame, no limping. Pretty normal.. I jsut saw the bruises and it concerned me...

Thanks guys!!

[Abejita]

that is pretty common You can see it on the white hooves ,but I bet it would be there if they were dark hooves too..

[GeorgeGuns]

Hmmmm. Looking at where the bruises are, and the fact that they coincide with a definate line in the hoof, I'd say the lads got into some wee trouble about 3-4 mos ago, either a change in diet, or a stress event anything from too long between trims to a fever or cold, or something that caused some laminitic event - not always a blatant lameness, esp if the hooves are already in a good relationship with Mother Earth. That top hoof even has what looks like a nice big abcess line growing out, right at the top of that bruise. Those "bruises" are nothing now, they are just becoming visible as the white walls grow down. When they get to ground level, it will look like blood in the white line, so don't freak out, its OLD NEWS.

[Terry Wallace]

That is normal... I would not be concerned. You can often see blood vessels through white feet. Be concerned if you see this in the SOLE of the hoof....not so much on the wall.
What you have there is not true bruising...that is why your horse is not lame.

[PASOFAN]

Wow, Coreen thank u! I did have them go to long between a trim the last time.. Bad Bad Jen.

I am definatly learnin here. Thank you all!

They are always barefoot, my ferrier says their hooves are really good a tough...

I was thinking w/the cold ground and them possibly runnin around that that could have caused it..