Lumps appeared in saddle and girth area...

[spotty_pony]

I took my ISH on a hack today (we were gone for two and a half hours which is nothing unusual) when I came back, he was a bit warm so I left him in his fleece. When I went to groom him and rug him up later I noticed he had a small lump on one side of his belly, roughly where the girth would set. It is quite a firm, hard lump. Does this sound like a girth gall?! If yes, I have no idea how he has got it as I use the synthetic cottage craft girths on him, and have done for the past six years without any problems! It doesn't seem to irritate him or cause him any discomfort.

Then I noticed a largish (about as big as a 2 pence piece) about in the middle of his back a good through inches from his spine. He didn't mind me touching it to start with but as I started to move the hair to have a closer look he twitched and dipped his back a bit and moved away. I looked on the other side and there is another one the other side although this one isn't so bad. He is is quite a twitchy horse and doesnt like being prodded and poked anyway but he didn't seem completely comfortable. Could these be pressure sores from the saddle? Or could they be warbles? Or something else? He had one of these lumps years ago just on one side, which stayed there for about 6 months and then gradually went away on its own. I'm just wondering if it's his saddle because they are both in roughly the same place on each side. Just seems a bit odd that the lumps on the back and the one under the girth have all appeared on the same day as if from nowhere?!

He is due a saddle check so I will get it checked anyway. I think the saddle may be a little on the large side if anything because he isn't quite as round as he was in the summer. He doesn't show any signs of discomfort when being ridden, or when being tacked up though.

So frustrating, as he is going so well atm. Just hoping this is something which can be easily sorted. Any ideas what it is/how it can be treated?

 

[muckypony]

Sound like sweat glands to me. I would start off hibi scrubbing them each day with warm water, try not to let him go from a hot saddle cloth to cold air, chuck a rug on him straight after untacking.

 

[lhotse]

They sound like pressure lumps to me, from the saddle. It could be that he got a little warm and if he's not used to being ridden for that length of time, it can cause the lumps. Always un-girth a hole at a time and leave on for a while rather than just whipping the saddle straight off. It does sound like there might be an issue with saddle fit though, are the lumps under where the stirrup bars are? This is a prime area for pressure lumps. These are different from the small, hard collagen lumps that are a reaction to insect bites but often found in the saddle area and rarely cause problems. Warbles have been eradicated from the UK.