'corrugated' feeling windpipe?

Sophiesmum

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Our new chap (currently on textended trial) was pretty lean when we got him and if you felt the underside of his neck you could feel quite a pronounced part of his windpipe, and it feels really knobbly - about 3 inches long. I have felt for this on other horses and can feel it but much further 'in' the neck on a few of them. As he has put on weight and a bit of muscle it seems to be receding a bit (or just being hidden). Is he normal? He hasn't had the best start in life and also has some evidence of a former injury to his chest and shoulder, a couple of thumb print size pices of muscle wastage. He is due a jab in June so will ask the vets advice, just wondered what you guys thought about it! Thanks
 
Sounds probably normal - the wind pipe is made up of loads of little C-shaped pieces of cartilage all strung together by ligaments in between. The easiest thing I can think to compare it to is the tubing on my vacuum cleaner!!! Its probably felt more prominant due to his condition and as this improves you won't be able to feel it quite so prominantly.
 
The 'thumb prints' could be Prophets Thumb Marks....... supposed to be a sign of a lucky horse!!! The windpipe is made that way to stop it from collapsing..... Good luck to your horsey though
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I've only seen one prophets thumb mark in the 11 years I've been around horses. Its supposed to be where mohammed blessed the best horses. The horse i saw it on was a very agressive stallion that I never managed to get near but was apparently wonderful. I does look like what it sounds, someone has pushed thier thumb into the horses neck
 
I'm pretty sure this isn't a prophets thumbmark, but an injury - it's right on the point of his shoulder, and looks as if there may have ben stitches or something - it has a pinched look to the area. That doesn't bother me (he certainly isn't a show horse, bless him) it was just the knobbley bit. There is no sign of an incision to make me think he would have been operated on anywhere around there - I'm pretty sure if he had been carrying enough weight when we got him I wouldn't have noticed anyway, but now I know about it I am really aware of it.
 
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