Odd raised hair patches?

Fruitcake

Fruitcake

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Horse is on box rest after surgery to digital flexor so hasn’t been clipped this winter and is unrugged. He has developed lots of patches of raised hair (about 50p piece size) along both sides (more one side than the other though). At first, I assumed it was ‘bed hair’ as this is the first time he’s ever had long hair and no rug to smooth it down. There don’t seem to be any lumps under the hair or skin and it’s not bothering him / doesn’t seem itchy. I have increased his alfalfa pellets recently as he’d dropped a little weight but he’s always had this feed so I’m not entirely convinced it’s a reaction to this. Wondered if it’s to do with bedding (wood pellets) as it’s mainly on the side he prefers to lie on. Will get vet to take a look but just wondered if anyone had any ideas or had seen anything similar.
 
This was one of the symptoms my pony showed last year of having cushings. Now on Prascend tablets and a normal coat this year.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

Regandal said:
Is he too hot perhaps? One of mine does this when it's mild, he's unclipped and has a thick coat.
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It’s been really cold here for the last few days (3 degrees and frosty overnight) so not sure.

Surreydeb said:
This was one of the symptoms my pony showed last year of having cushings. Now on Prascend tablets and a normal coat this year.
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Might be an idea but he hasn’t had any other symptoms (perhaps with the exception of a little weight and condition loss but he’s been on box rest for about 12 weeks now so am putting that down to that). I have a little pony with Cushings so am quite up on the other symptoms and haven’t seen any with this horse. Will keep an eye out though.
 
This occasionally happens with my cushings pony, even though he has a completely normal looking coat thanks to Prascend. I have no idea if the two are related or not, but thought it worth mentioning as someone else commented on it being a symptom with theirs.
 
This has just triggered a memory which I’d forgotten about, but my old guy had these for a bit too - and when he started on Prascend they didn’t recur.
 
My older pony used to get these, they could turn weepy/crusty. It was to do with suppressed immune system/Cushings onset. With yours it could just be immune system struggling due to being on box rest.
 
Frank's certainly sound similar, he has had reactive skin since forever! anything that disrupts the usual can set it off, like too warm, fly bites, changing coat etc. His tend to start as small bumps and then get a bit crusty then go away with sulphur+sudocreme.
He doesn't have cushings and has been on custom mineral diet based on our forage and never fully resolved.

I would query the woodpellets, straw would sometimes bring frank out but not always
 
My older boy has this this year, his coat almost looks dappled. Not tested for PPID for a couple of years but when we did we had one slightly above borderline and then one negative result in the space of about 3 weeks !
 
I've seen a few of these on my pony so far this autumn, in her case there was a bit of mud right down at skin level, you wouldn't know it was there until you really delved with a finger nail. I used the stiff brush side of a hoofpick level with the skin to get the mud out, it was stuck fast!
 
Thanks everyone. It is very strange. I’m sure it’s not mud or dirt as he has them literally all along his side (in line with the line of each rib- about 10 down each rib line). It might be worth considering the immune system idea. He’s had a couple of steroid jabs into his fetlock and I know steroids can suppress the immune system.

Spoke to vet, who wanted photos. After looking at them, she said she wasn’t too concerned and agreed with suggestion of taking out alfalfa just to check. I’m not convinced it’s this but do think it’s the sensible thing to try.

Re the bedding, they seem too far up to be linked to where he lies and they’re not on his underbelly.

There is no lump, scab, flakiness or oozing. It’s just very odd!
 
Orangehorse said:
Not ringworm? Fungal disease caught from other horses/cattle/stable.
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Sure it can’t be ringworm as there’s no hair loss at all. He hasn’t had any contact with other horses (other than our other two and even then not directly as he hasn’t had any turnout). He was in hospital for a week for his surgery but a) I’d be surprised if their hygiene was so poor and b) it was 12 weeks ago. Thanks though.
 
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