Growths, lumps and bumps on the ground surface of the hoof, frog or sole, are a rare observation. They can result from very different conditions, each of which requires a particular approach to diagnosis and treatment.

After sustaining a wound, proud flesh (excessive healing tissue) can form on the ground surface of the hoof. It looks similar to proud flesh that develops elsewhere, a red growth. The same factors that cause proud flesh elsewhere also cause it to develop here and can be treated as it is in other places.

A nail or stone can become embedded in the hoof and can rarely look like a growth on the hoof.

Canker is a poorly understood abnormal growth that occurs on the frog or sole of the hoof. It is often described as a spongy white or gray colored mass that looks like wet cauliflower or cottage cheese. It is most common in moist environments and is more common in draft breeds.

Thrush is a common condition of the sole and frog, has a strong smell, and appears as a black paste. It usually is a destructive process, meaning that the tissue is being eaten away rather than built up as a growth.

A keratoma is a rare abnormal hoof wall growth that might be seen on the sole, just inside the hoof wall, as a deviation of the white line and sometimes accompanied by a bulging hoof wall.

These are the most likely conditions to cause a growth on the sole of the hoof. Each requires definitive diagnosis by a vet and requires a completely different approach to treatment.