Lumps on 2 out of 5 horses? Odd weather. Any suggestions?

T

The wife

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2 of our 5 horses have come out in sore, none itchy, scabby, pea sized, hard lumps. The smaller lumps are accompanied by a smattering of larger, softer lumps without heads. When the heads come off the smaller ones, the fluid is clear and greasy. The pony has extensive covering across all 4 legs, from hoof to tummy, stomach and a couple on her head and neck. TB has them on his tummy and upper legs only but nowhere near as extensive or as scabby as the pony. Vets are at a loss as to what it could be and said they have not seen anything like it on 2 horses. The TB is as tough as old boots and has never had a thing wrong with him in the time I have had him. Both were clipped within 2 days of one another, 10 days before lumps appeared. Another horse was clipped 4 days after these 2 and is unaffected (Chestnut tb, very sensitive skin)

Vets have given both antibiotics for a week and are hoping it's folliculitis (sp) if they haven't cleared within a week we will be taking biopsy's of both horses.

Any suggestions in the mean time? Both are on dry paddocks. Routine, feed or bedding has not changed. Other horses are completely unaffected.
 
Have you washed/changed rugs recently? I've seen one have a weird allergic reaction to the washing powder (same one as always).
 
My old boy had something similar many years ago. Vet explained it was as he was moulting his pores were clogged up. He gave me a solution to put on which stank (very garlicky smell I remember) and which my horse detested. Not sure that's terribly helpful sorry :s hope you get to the bottom of it OP.
 
My d has the same on the left side of his neck. Been there about a week now and no change so sticking some flamazine on it. Looked like heat rash but some scabby and not gone. Very odd.
 
A similar thing happened on the yard Im on, all horses affected had been recently clipped by the same person. We wondered if it was a reaction to the clipper oil or possibly some infection from the blades being used on a previous horse. The lumps went after a few weeks on all but one horse who still has them the year after. The owner had a biopsy done recently but I dont know the result sorry.
 
Louby said:
A similar thing happened on the yard Im on, all horses affected had been recently clipped by the same person. We wondered if it was a reaction to the clipper oil or possibly some infection from the blades being used on a previous horse. The lumps went after a few weeks on all but one horse who still has them the year after. The owner had a biopsy done recently but I dont know the result sorry.
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Clipping had been suggested and although the pony is fully clipped out, the TB still has his legs on and still has lumps on them. Plus the chestnut mare who was clipped after these 2 hasn't a spot on her.

I am completely bamboozled by this one - As are the vets it would appear. Antibiotics seem to be doing their job and they are going down though, so hoping we are over the worse.
 
This happened to my mare last year who was fully clipped. Lumps, hives , weird scabs and hair loss. Never found out what it was , nothing really seemed to help but they didn't appear to be uncomfortable. They went when her summer coat came through in spring. Hasn't happened this year with only a bib clip. I'd blame it on maybe insects or an allergy that's causing issues because of the clipped coat and lack of protection.
 
This has happened a couple of times with one of my horses after clipping. It was a reaction to the clipper oil. I would wipe clipped coat over with warm water and shampoo to get rid of oil residue after clipping.
 
Clip1clop1 said:
This has happened a couple of times with one of my horses after clipping. It was a reaction to the clipper oil. I would wipe clipped coat over with warm water and shampoo to get rid of oil residue after clipping.
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The TB's legs weren't clipped out and both wiped over with hot water and Detol afterwards. Never had an allergy to clipper oil before as never change the brand and was a a bottle I had used before. The rest of the clipped areas are not affected (TB has a hunter clip with slim saddle patch and pony is fully clipped out) Basically it's only exposed areas on both horses that are affected. One horse I could understand but not 2, especially when the others are not spotty.
 
Sorry to bump this after so long, however I’m currently going through very similar with my 2 Horses’s and wondered what the outcome was?
 
This happens to T sometimes, except that he never seems bothered by them. A few people, including my vet and saddle fitter, suggested that it can be because their pores get clogged in winter. I don't think he's had it this year, and I've tried leaving him unrugged to see if that makes a difference. He never went above a 100 gram anyway, but he has always been a very hot horse so I thought it probably had something to do with that.
 
I think this may have been what my guy's had a few time around this time of year. He got his on his back legs. He was clipped out at the time. I just assumed he'd rubbed on something in the field. Do you have rushes in your field? If there's no grass they tend to pick at them so wonder if it's something inside them- insect or something.
 
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