Puncture wounds in the foot can be a very serious, life-threatening injury to the horse. This is because penetrating objects are often contaminated with dirt, rust, and manure which can carry bacteria into the sensitive hoof structures. Chronic infection of these structures can result in persistent lameness and loss of athletic performance of the horse.

Unfortunately, unless the penetrating object is still in place, it is sometimes difficult to recognize that the horse has a puncture wound injury since the initial injury closes rapidly.

Puncture wounds are classified according to the depth of penetration and location on the foot. The depth of penetration can be superficial if it only penetrated cornified tissue or deep if it penetrated more than 1cm (0.39in) in the sole and 1.5cm (0.59in) into the frog. Deep wounds are separated into three types based on their location.

Puncture wounds can often cause septic pedal osteitis in horses do to the introduction of bacteria and debris into the solar surface of the P3.