Pictures: I've had a really awful day :(

[Cedars]

It's nearly bed time for me after a really long day at the yard. 3 out of the 4 horses we have on the yard seem to be having some sort of allergic reaction to something. I'll put the photos first:

This is D, tbx mare. Came in from field yesterday, a few bumps but we assumed fly bites. This morning I found this:

Not an inch of her not covered in these awful bumps.. Some the size of the palm of my hand and her shnozz looked like this:

Then poor F (cob x) his nose was very dry and cracked yesterday but this morning it was much worse, bleeding and totally scabby and looked like this:

And then H (ISH), his nose looked like this:

D is the only one with bumps on her body. Vet has been out, it's clearly an allergic reaction to something (he believes the noses are contact reactions, the body bumps will be something she's eaten). Gave D steroid injection (and her bumps have all but gone this evening), gave F some injected bute (and a course over the next few days) and H is mild enough to be left as he is.

Puzzle is totally and completely unharmed.

Now for the bit I need help with-I have NO idea what has caused this in most of our horses. There is NOTHING that they have all been exposed to- F and D are in the same field, but H was with Puz. F and D are on different haylage to H. H has a feed and supplements but I let Puz lick the bowl, nobody else has any contact. H and F have the same bedding-D is different. The reactions seem to have happened in the field (as they've been out now for a week), but the fields are separated by a wide lane. Also, we've been there 4 years now, changed NOTHING about our management or the field in general. I walk the fields everyday and nothing out of the ordinary has appeared.

I really would appreciate every and any idea you have-plants we could search for, any totally wacky off the wall ideas, any experiences, anything. I just can't even begin to think what it could be. And I'm so worried about them all.

A soppy photo of D - usually she-bitch extraordinaire - clearly feeling very down in the dumps as we had cuddles tonight.

 

[Dizzydancer]

What fly spray are you using? A Tb on my yard had same reaction all over body turned out allergy to fly spray, its one she used before but now can't put any on incase reacts.
They did also burn the hair off after a couple of days. So was washed in a lotion vets gave 4 times daily.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

The pink nose looks like a reaction to Giant Hogweed. A most unpleasant plant with a hollow stem, whose sap 'burns' the skin, especially in sunny weather.

 

[dumpling]

Nettles? Buttercups?

My boy with a pink nose takes reactions to buttercups. He also had a really bad reaction to something in the field and needed anti-biotics and pain killers

 

[spottyfilly]

i was also going to say buttercups

 

[Dizzydancer]

I doubt butter cups would cause the body reaction tho. But if they have touched her and it is an acid type reaction then it would burn the pink skin easily

 

[Cedars]

I have had buttercups burn perfect circles on to Puz before, but our buttercups died out a few weeks ago- none in the field now.

 

[katherine1975]

My two horses had exactly the same sort of reaction, it cleared up within a couple of days and never found out what caused it! Vet said it could be anything, nettles, buttercups.
The cob nose pic looks like sunburn to me.

 

[Tiffany]

Have any of the surrounding farms been spraying their fields?

 

[Toffee44]

St Johns Wart???

 

[Honey08]

My mare comes up like that if she has anything with high sugar content, like real sugar beet or rich haylage. Have you changed their haylage? I agree that the nose pic does look like sunburn, but the other one with the black nose has it too to a lesser degree.

Hope you find out or it goes away.

 

[Brightbay]

The lumps on body are urticaria. My horse (who is working his way through the Merck Veterinary Manual) had these about this time last year. They lasted about 4 or 5 days, some came to a head and got little scabs which then fell off, leaving little circular bald patches. At no stage was he itchy or sore, just mysterious lumps (more on one side of his body than the other, so we did wonder if it was a plant he'd laid on).

I am also familiar with the scabby nose from another of our herd... it is a photosensitivity reaction to buttercups (some other plants cause it too). It is not sunburn, as it can occur during weeks when the sun never appears, and not happen in weeks when the sun splits the skies. It's a reaction to something ingested rather than contact, and can affect all white bits with pink skin under them, so the horse in question also got it under his fetlocks. Zinc oxide cream cleared it up quite fast.

My horse (page 176 of the Merck Manual OK not really, but...) also got a skin reaction to buttercup pollen - he has no white hair/pink skin, but came out in a horrible scabby rash all around his nose and under his jowl at exactly the height of the flowering buttercups... which healed when we covered that part of his nose.

All these innocent, pretty looking plants... causing horsey mayhem and vet bills!

 

[Archina]

Ive got a friend who has a WB mare that gets the same thing. Nothing changes in her routine to cause it but she just randomely comes out in a huge rash all over her body which drives her crazy cause its really itchy. Felt so sorry for her when i was there when it happened. Was about the 3rd time that it happened and after vet visits the only thing they could put it down to was an allergic reaction from a plant in the hay. In the end all she could do is just turn her out in the field when it happens as it means she can have a good roll and relieve some of her discomfort as drugs didnt help.

 

[Jenni_]

My sister in laws TB has that on his nose, put it down to his sensitive TB skin taking an allergic reaction to something!

 

[Shysmum]

Hives ? Photosensitivity (can be linked to ragwort ingestion or sunlight) ? certainly looks like an allergic reaction, so check for all possible causes.

Let us know x

 

[ladyt25]

There could be numerous causes but it is odd all but one have had a reaction. Have any of the neighbouring fields been sprayed with anything? My pony came up with lumps all over his body once, we put it down to nettles or him getting himself near an ant nest. I think it is about the time of year for ants and they can get pretty aggressive if their nest is disturbed. The nose burn effect though wouldn't suggest that - that's something to do with a reaction to poisonous plants generally - ie buttercups or hogweed like has been mentioned. A bit of sudcrem generally calms that down pretty quick.

Another cause could be photosensitivity. I have a piny years ago who was on bute long term and he came up in hives like that. Vet diagnosed photosensitivity due to his liver being compromised by the bute and this then causes the skinto react to sunlight. He was white though (well chestnut and white with a lot of white) so some pink skin on his body. Therefore it's possible they have eaten something they shouldn't that's affected their liver and caused this outcome. Usually these things disappear within a few days and don't reoccur and you're left non the wiser to the cause!!!

 

[FinkleyAlex]

My 2yo gets bumps like that on his body when he lies down on buttercups...though they're only down one side. Ditto what the others have said though as the buttercups have all gone in my fields. I would do a thorough check of the field to see if any funky plants have popped up - chances are if they're in one field they'll probably have made it into the other field too.

 

[welshcobabe]

Stan got a rash back in May the cause was a change in food he only has happy hoof but I got and apple chaff for a change and he came up within a couple of days so removed the chaff and he was back to normal. I think it must have been the high suger content.

 

[Marydoll]

Body rash does look like urticaria, my horses have all had this at various times in their lives, it is an allergic reaction, i carry piriton in my first aid kit for it and give them that if i see it developing, usually 4 tabs sort it out on my guys, thats a small dose but it works for mine,i do watch closely that it doesnt get any worse and id have the vet out as well if it doesnt work

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Cob looks like sunburn. My boy had this last week, no buttercups or giant hogweed inhis field. Straightforward burn. Stick factor 50 on or a uv nose net.

 

[brighteyes]

Check my pics in veterinary sticky. Mine was exactly the same but fine in himself. Game him about 50p's worth of over-the-counter piriton and he was right as rain after a day or so.

The cob needs a nose shield on his headcollar and keeping away from buttercups and the sun.

 

[Andiamo]

To the OP, Very interesting thread, I'm glad you posted it.
I moved my horse a few days ago, and put him in a new field. The same has happened to him. He's had a fly sheet on, and the bumpy rashes are in places that flies couldn't get to, so I know it's not fly bites. He is in a field that hasn't been used in a while, so the grass is very long, about 2 feet high, and yes it has lots of buttercups, no nettles though, and no ragwort. There is dock in there though. Someone at the yard suggested to me that it might be the buttercups, so I've asked to move to a field that has been topped recently, to see if it improves, I moved him last night. I will also try to give him an antihistamine. It's annoying though, because his coat has come out around the bumps, leaving little bald patches.

 

[MagicMelon]

With regards to your first pictures - my Welsh D would sometimes come out in that, like a huge rash with raised bumps all over his chest, neck and shoulders. Does yours itch generally? Mine did (we thought it was sweet itch at first) and we ended up having the vet allergy test him. He was allergic to most types of grass, hay mould and dust! Nothing we could do about that, but at least we knew! A pony I had a few weeks ago also came out in exactly what your horse has - all over his back and shoulders, he also itched (owner thought sweet itch) but I suspect he had allergies too. This could be a one off allergic reaction but Id definately advise getting yours tested if he's generally itchy anyway.

 

[mik]

When I saw it it thought red ant nest? mine reacts to them if he rolls by one, and the great dane as well, but we are in spain and the nests are enormous, doubtful in the UK I guess.

 

[SNORKEY]

Hi, my mare came in from the field looking just like yours a few years back, i called the vet panicking and he wouldn't come out as he was sure she just had a bad reaction to something and it would go down , which it did in 24hrs.
We think she rolled in nettles, so if youv'e got any patches of those, cut them down.

 

[Posie]

Do they wear fly rugs? If they do and you have washed them recently it could be a reaction to the washing powder. Same with numnahs

 

[Cedars]

Hi everyone.

Short post as I'm more than a little gutted. H's breathing is significantly worse today, as is his nose. We have moved him to a good friend's livery yard as we can't see him deteriorate further.

We need to look now at field, soil and environment analysis. Beginning to believe that our problems previous to this are all linked... Our eventers breathing problems, our cob has had a few bumps for a very long time. I have to believe now that it is something affecting our whole yard and environment.

I don't usually ask for vibes, but dear God we need them now. Our whole life is our little family yard.

 

[Tickles]

Ceders,

Thoughts for you. You obviously really care and are doing the very best you can by the horses.

Not suggesting at all this is relevant but I know of a yard where most of the horses (15ish out of 20?) collapsed in fields one day. As in down in the fields, not moving.

YM obviously VERY upset.

'Coincidentally' a 'safe' glue was being used a short distance away to fix the surface of a running track.

Yard was RDA so not loads of money to spend on fancy lawyers/scientific experts and they never proved anything/got compensation. But horses did recover.

But the point is: you can be in a very scary allergy type situation... and have both yard and horses return to normal.

Very best of luck.

 

[Brightbay]

Hi everyone.

Short post as I'm more than a little gutted. H's breathing is significantly worse today, as is his nose. We have moved him to a good friend's livery yard as we can't see him deteriorate further.

We need to look now at field, soil and environment analysis. Beginning to believe that our problems previous to this are all linked... Our eventers breathing problems, our cob has had a few bumps for a very long time. I have to believe now that it is something affecting our whole yard and environment.

I don't usually ask for vibes, but dear God we need them now. Our whole life is our little family yard.

Sorry to hear it! It does sound like some kind of allergic reaction to something they've all been exposed to. Sending very best get well wishes for them all.

 

[Marydoll]

Hi, my mare came in from the field looking just like yours a few years back, i called the vet panicking and he wouldn't come out as he was sure she just had a bad reaction to something and it would go down , which it did in 24hrs.
We think she rolled in nettles, so if youv'e got any patches of those, cut them down.

I wouldve ditched that vet tbh, for all the horses that do clear up theres the 1 where it will become worse with possible breathing problems developing, if you were panicking to me that says it was extensive, as in the pic, imo the vet shouldve attended.