Shannon
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Back Issue - help appreciated!Once again, I come to this forum to benefit from other member's experiences. Money's tight and I don't want to call a vet out if I don't have to. I was wondering if any of you might be able to give me an indication what is wrong with my horse's back.
I rode him in a new saddle on Sunday afternoon and his back didn't seem sore afterward. Monday comes rolling around and I see a noticeable bump on his back. I thought it could just be a bug bite but it feels hard and its right along the spine. Then there's a noticeable continuing smaller "bump" that seems to stem from the one along his spine.
Here are some pictures so hopefully you can see what I'm describing:
If any of you have any indication of what that could be, I would be grateful. He doesn't seem to be in any pain but I don't want to ride him when his back looks like this. I've had him 5 years and it's never looked like this. I'm aware getting a chiropractor would be a good idea, but as I said money is tight and I'd like to know if this is something that will just go away or that maybe I can fix. Thanks in advance!!
P.S. sorry about the dirty horse.
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Julie
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Looks more like an inflammed fly bite. I would wash it off and apply bite cream in the meantime.
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bit
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Eclipse had one of these, and it gradually went away. I'm thinking nasty fly bite. Poor Lou has them, too. I love summer, hate the bugs. Remind me this winter when I'm whining about the cold. NO FLIES!!!
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HorseHealer
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Horse's back with problemsHello
Almost looks like a vertabrae and rib out of alignment-check the underside of saddle as something in the saddle did this. I do long distance readings on horses if you are interested in finding out what the horse needs to gain it's physical comfort back.
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Clarissa
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That's a possibility HH about something under the saddle causing the irritation, but the ribs don't come off the backbone that high up.
I've seen a broken rib & a dislodged(sprung) rib on 2 different horses & they didn't look like that. The ribs were kicking out further down the belly. The broken rib was sticking right out at an angle with the break quite visible under the skin. The sprung rib was just protruding proud of the rest of the ribcage but was still maintaining it's rounded shape. It was caused by a kick. The broken rib was after a goring by a horned cow.
In both cases where ribs join or hinge off the vertebrae there was quite a lump running lengthwise along the horse's back more under where the tree of the saddle would sit. Also the horses were in considerable distress, unable to breathe properly much like us when we have a rib truma.
My horses get lumps on themselves from time to time & it is usually from them running into wasp nests while foraging through long grass or near the fence where the blighters build their nests.
Anyway if the lump in the photos was caused by insects it should be gone by now as it's been almost 2wks since Shannon posted those photos.
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Shannon
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Thanks guys,
Turns out it was a bug bite, almost the worst one he's ever had. He's been getting big ones all over his body now. This bite was the first one and it just followed after I had ridden in a different saddle so I was concerned.
Poor guy though, he's 18 years old and hasn't had a problem with bugs since I've had him and now this year he's having issues.
It's a bad bug year!
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Nashama
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Sometimes around that age they get such issues as their immune systems start to decline. If you have any sugary feeds in his diet, particularly anything containing molasses, perhaps start with eliminating those and see if he is a bit less bug prone.
There are things that can be done to boost his immune system bit that does take some skill in acutherapy and herbal medicine, and, of course, that costs money to learn or get someone in to do for you.
There is a lot of debate currently on feeding garlic for it, mostly generated by a particular group of nutritionists students who seem to be as notoriously difficult to work with sensibly as their teacher (lets just say I know someone who went to University with the teacher and she is notoriously difficult among her peers), but for my money I do feed garlic during bug season to Glen's old gelding and it does seem to reduce his attractiveness to mosquitoes. I also rug him against them. He does not entirely get missed, bugs just seem to target him, but it's harder for the bugs to get a spot to snack on him.
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PasoBaby_CarolU
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If he'll keep a sheet on, you can put a fly sheet on him.
Some horses are react very badly to even stable flies. I use a good fly spray (Endure or Pyrana) every 3 days.
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