Lumps under saddle

[Mari]

My horse has developed lumps on both sides of his back under the seat area of his saddle. They do not appear to be sore but do seem to be itchy. He had his saddle checked & crooked spine adjusted in february, saddler is coming back tomorrow to check. he had his back checked in March & physio is coming again next week. Anyone have any ideas what these lumps could be? Blocked sweat glands were suggested. he wears a clean numnah every time.

 

[ameeyal]

I would say sweat glands, or you say he wears a clean numnah every time, it might be the washing powder.

 

[Mari]

I use non biological wash powder as I am allergic to the bio stuff. Had saddler this week & because he's changed shape his saddle isn't a good fit (have had it altered twice recently & have decided time has come to sell & buy another). So could possibly be movement of saddle. Am now riding in GP saddle (which does fit) so will see if lumps go down.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

I was advised to use sheepskin numnah for this. If u get one make sure u hdve it on when saddlet fits new saddle or it will make it too tight later on. X

 

[sbloom]

It depends on the lumps. Small lumps, especially if there are several, seem to be related to the pores, sweat etc, but there is a new theory that overbathing your horse can contribute - removal of the natural oils. The normal explanation is that it is folliculitis, and nothing to do with saddle fit.

If the lumps are larger and totally symmetrical then it could be the saddle - of course if the saddle is sitting to one side, or moving to the side at all, the asymmetric lumps could also be down to saddle fit.

Occasionally a better fitting saddle can cause large soft lumps - odema - through releasing pressure from a damaged area. Over time you find that the lumps go away more quickly (you should not ride when the lumps are up) and that gradually they stop coming up. It can be scary when you've had saddle fitting issues in the past to keep the faith though!

 

[lizziebinks]

Sweat reactions? Length of time being ridden and weight of rider causing pressure points?

I'd suggest lots of fresh air time on the back, using a natural numnah (no polyester etc) and keep it clean, wash well with water afterwards.
Does the saddle fit *you* aswell as the horse?

 

[DollyDolls]

My horse got a few on each size about petit pois sized. Only after being ridden and they went within an hr or so.
The saddler said it was because the current saddle was too wide, and gave me another to have on trial (that did it too). -But suggested I use a sheepskin pad too.

The different saddler I got reflocked my original saddle and the lumps NEVER came back!
She totally removed all the old flocking and put in new.

I dont believe the lumps were normal and I dont believe that a thick numnah fixes saddles that need work.

 

[Wagtail]

It is definitely due to the saddle. I have know two horses that have developed the after having a new saddle fitted, even though the saddle appears to fit well. I examimined the saddle and in both cases the flocking was not smooth. There were (very slight) lumps and bumps. A sheepkin numnah did help a little with the mare on my yard. But only when she was not ridden any more due to being in foal did the lumps go.

 

[chestnut cob]

My horse gets lumps like these... he gets sweat rash easily so if he gets too warm in his rug he will get them. In that case they usually go down once the rug is removed, after a couple of hours. He also gets them under the saddle and where the girth is. I think (and vet agrees) they're like blocked pores. Sometimes they are itchy but not always. He also gets them in other places when he works very hard and sweats a lot (think doing a full day's hunting at the end of the season when it was getting really warm - then they were everywhere he had been sweating). They come up before he finishes work so it's not a case of me not bathing him properly. I just have to make sure he is always washed down after work and I bath him with Malaseb or Dermoline, both of which really help.

Numnahs/saddlecloths and girth are clean, it's just strange sort of sweat rash. Vet looked at them again last week when he was out for something else and wasn't concerned.

 

[sbloom]

It is definitely due to the saddle.

In your case perhaps, but you can't apply that to everyone else's case. Vets will disagree with you.

 

[Manhattan18]

My horse gets small fairly hard lumps under the saddle but usually only in the summer so I am certain that they are due to sweat. The best thing I have found to avoid them is to use a sheepskin lined numnah and always to wash the saddle patch thoroughly with water if it is sweaty.

 

[Wagtail]

In your case perhaps, but you can't apply that to everyone else's case. Vets will disagree with you.

Indeed. The vet did say it wasn't the saddle, but it was! The lumps were all pea sized, hard and not itchy and all were under where the saddle panels were. She never had them before the new saddle, and they went after a few weeks of not being ridden. The other horse that I saw them on, only developed them too, after a new saddle had been fitted.

Vets are very often wrong. They told me my horse didn't have kissing spines. He did. They also told us my clients mare did not have gastric ulcers, and she did.