Help! Do you know what these are?

redcascade

redcascade

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Just a bit of background first off, Red is a 12YO TBxWB who gets small, bite like lumps on his neck, I have had him a year and he got them then and his previous owners say he used to get them. I haven't really got a clue what they are, they are like very small fly bites with a very soft, easy to remove scab on the top, if you scratch the area he likes it so it's obviously itchy, for this reason we believe it's fly bites. But, he also got them in the winter when he was rugged up with all the snow and he gets them in the summer, then we think they could be a heat rash? But THEN!!! He got a cough the other week and this seems to have subsided with soaked hay, and a more open stable so it could be an allergy to dust or something in the grass! The vet was out the other week and didn't seem to be too worried about them but I'd really like any ideas or suggestions on how to heal/prevent them as he now has some on his face which he has rubbed raw :(
So the question is what do you think they are and what can I do to help him?
Here are a few pics,
the ones on his neck:
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The one on his face :( :
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And finally while I'm here, what's his weight like?
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Anyway, sorry picture overload, chocolate buttons if you got this far :)
 
looks like an allergy to sweat? which will be why hes itchy, and also why it happens in winter (sweating under rugs)

do you wash/hose him off after work? clean tack/numnahs etc
 
He looks lovely! I wonder if the winter and summer things are separate. Perhaps he is getting too hot under his rugs in the winter? His face really does look like fly bites that he has then rubbed and made them look even worse! Does he wear a fly mask? I've had to buy one for my TB who seems really bothered by them, particularly around his forehead, forelock and top of mane). Got the Rambo one - it is staying on and with a lot of fly spray seems to be making a difference in that he isn't rubbing holes in his head!
 
horsecrazy25- Thanks :) The vet has seen the lumps on him before and didn't seem concerned at all, so he can't think that they're anything serious.
xloopylozzax- I didn't think of that to be honest although I think you're possibly right, he is usually brushed off after work but his tack doesn't really go near the ones on his neck, but yes tack/numnahs etc are always clean, it baffles me really!
kirstyl- That's why we think it's a heat rash in the winter, but again, it's itchy, would this be right of this? I'm not really sure if I could get a mask to cover them with them being so far down but will have a look around.
Thanks so much for your suggestions :)
 
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What are you feeding him?

Im no expert but I would guess it is something in his feed that is having a reaction. That would explain why it is there all year round.
If you are still feeding him then go right back to basics and cut out all heating feeds with lots of corn.
I have known a few come out in lumps and bumps when getting fed too much hard feed.
 
brighteyes said:
I just thought what a lovely lad and brill picture of a prophet's thumb!
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Sorry I can't help with the OP question, but brighteyes, what is a prophet's thumb? I presume you mean that "dent" in the horse's neck, but what is it exactly ( I know a horse with two of these "dents" and have often wondered what they are). Thank you
 
nat1003- He is fed on Blue Chip Original, Baileys Top-line conditioning cubes and chaff. His old owners had him on Baileys with Alfa-A and Oil and he still got them so not sure if it would be this. Will have a word with my YO ;)
horsecrazy25- This is the thing, he doesn't seem at all bothered by them so I don't really think it'd be worth bothering with this, although I would love to find out what it is! Haha!! It's my obsession too :p
brighteyes- Thankyou!! I don't know what I'd do without him :D
trakehnersrock!- Yes, it is the 'dent' in his neck, if you google it something should come up, I'm just quoting this:

'The story is a Prophet was traveling with his people across the great dessert and they ran out of water, after many days they finally came across a oasis in the sand.
The phrophet let all the horses go so they ran towards the water, just as they got a couple of metres from the water the Phrophet called them back.
All those that returned without drinking the water were blessed by the Phrophet by putting his thumb mark on them. Any horse these days that has them (it has to be a dent in the neck or chest area - anywhere else and its not a true one) is said to be a decendant of one of those loyal horses. '
It's really just a muscle deformity I think :)
 
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Actually thinking about it, my friend had terrible problems with her horse coming out in bumps, they were all over him although didn't seem to be bothering him. She ended up taking him off all the food he was on and reintroducing them one at a time. I believe (and I will double check) that it was high levels of protein that made him react. I will find out tomorrow!
 
My TB had scabs very similar to this and the vet was never sure what it was - they gave me a antibacterial wash and said to keep an eye on it - he has since had skin tests as the scabs came back at the beginning of every summer - even after the skin tests the vet doesn't know exactly what it is, some sort of skin disorder that won't harm him, but that you can't fully get rid of, just looks ugly for a few months of the year. He didn't ever get it on his face though? Might be worth getting a skin test done if your worrided? My vet wasn't ever conserned about it, but I kept panicking so thats why she did the test.
 
Ah! Interesting! I will have to look into that kirstyl, the thing is, he is such a poor doer although we have finally got there with his weight so don't really want to take him off the feed, it's a win lose situation I feel :( I will have a look into the protein levels in his feed and go from there, but if you could check with her for me that would be fab :)
 
I would cut back on the baileys and blue chip and then start again gradually adding one of them. It wont hurt to give it a try.
Feeds these days are complete feeds and so are balanced and not designed to be fed with other types of feeds. By feeding 2 types or makes you are upsetting the balance and potentially overfeeding your horse without realising it and overheating your horse. Most likely too much protein. Its not like the olden days where you would feed straights and add things such as limestone flour to balance it out, its all done for you.
One of the horses on our yard came out in a rash in the winter and lost a huge lump of hair on her side. Her owner was feeding her a stud balancer and a competition mix. Once she cut out the stud balancer and fed the correct amount of mix the mare was fine again.
 
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Thanks redcascade- that's very interesting, I must say I prefer the legend to the prosaic muscle deformity!! My retired TB also has one on his chest, I call it his dimple! lol
 
Ally_F said:
My TB had scabs very similar to this and the vet was never sure what it was - they gave me a antibacterial wash and said to keep an eye on it - he has since had skin tests as the scabs came back at the beginning of every summer - even after the skin tests the vet doesn't know exactly what it is, some sort of skin disorder that won't harm him, but that you can't fully get rid of, just looks ugly for a few months of the year. He didn't ever get it on his face though? Might be worth getting a skin test done if your worrided? My vet wasn't ever conserned about it, but I kept panicking so thats why she did the test.
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Nice to know it's not just me! It's so frustrating isn't it? :p I'm not too bothered by it but I'm constantly checking it and making sure he's comfortable, but these are the reasons I don't want to have a test done because I fear it may be a waste of money if they don't bother him, anyway, I'll let you know if I find a cure ;)
 
My horsey has something similar.

The first 3 pics i came to the conclusion of possibley be horse fly bites.
Last year she had scabs on her face and was constantly itching so again i came to the conclusion of some kind of mange. She seems to get it every summer. I just hibi scrub her face and put some sudo cream on, She dosnt seem to bad this year...

Hope this helps

xx
 
trakehnersrock! said:
Thanks redcascade- that's very interesting, I must say I prefer the legend to the prosaic muscle deformity!! My retired TB also has one on his chest, I call it his dimple! lol
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Just found another source which says it's where the hoof has pressed on the area when the foal was in the womb which is probably the most likely reason :)

nat1003- Well, he is nearly at the end of this bag of Baileys so I think when this one runs out I will leave it out for now and just feed the Blue Chip and Chaff, he is on fairly good turnout at the moment and like you say it can't do him much harm, that's very interesting
 
Thanks Mr_Magoo, will invest in some Hibiscrub and cut the Baileys out and go from there I think. It doesn't bother me so much it's just getting too much with it on his face as it's stopping me riding really as it fairly swollen the bridle just rubs it :(
 
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