A sore back that doesn't seem like a sore back?

AstonishedTrowel

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Hi all,
the mare I am riding at the moment seems to have a sore patch under the rear panel, on the right side only. It was hot, inflamed and scabby.
So, I gave her 5 days off and yesterday palpated to check for soreness - no reaction! Hooray!

However, during grooming I'm using a shedding blade (it's that time of the year!) and it catches some of the scabs - now THAT gets a reaction!
I lunged her under saddle with a half pad and she was moving freely and happily - her saddle actually seems to fit her very well! She also seemed fine when ridden, I then palpated again to check for soreness and no reaction!

But, when I gently scratched the skin/scabs she definitely seemed in pain! The skin no longer looks inflamed but it does have scabs. It's not been particularly rainy this year so I doubt it's rain scald and she's only been wearing a fly rug. The hair doesn't look short or broken like it's being rubbed by the saddle either - I'm stumped!

Any advice please?
 
It sounds like folliculitis that a horse of mine had once. The pores open when the horse is hot, and bacteria which are always on the skin can get in and scab the hair root. I got on top of it by washing with hibiscrub before and after every ride.
 
It sounds like folliculitis that a horse of mine had once. The pores open when the horse is hot, and bacteria which are always on the skin can get in and scab the hair root. I got on top of it by washing with hibiscrub before and after every ride.

Ooh, yes, I'm familiar! Washing with hibi scrub won't hurt either way, I'll certainly try this! I work in a microbiology lab, so it'd be quite possible to take a scrape, stain and try to identify!
 
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