Pidge is poorly, help please?

Pidgeon

Pidgeon

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Sorry posted in NL as well but know not everyone goes in there

Really need some help here please?
Went Somerford Park yesterday and did the farm ride. Was out for 2 ½ hours and Pidge was a tad warm when we got back as we gallop up the hill and along for about 500m. Nothing out of the ordinary work wise or Pidge wise though. Cooled them off ok, took him back to lorry, stripped him, hosed and cooling wash, thermatex on and back home, again same as normal.
Got home and he has two patches on him the size of your hand just where the bottom of the saddle cloth and back edge of the girth go, if that makes sense and both are sticky. So I shampooed him off rinsed well and slapped some Aloe Vera on him.
Brought him in this morning as fields are being topped today and they are worse than yesterday, very hot and swollen, cold hosed and there was steam coming off him. Rang vets who came out on the way to the practice (my vets are excellent BTW) He’s given him a cortisteroid jab, pirition tablets and Noromectin (I think?) and said he should start to improve in 24-48 hours. No riding until I can touch the areas with no reaction from Pidge. Pidge is very tetchy and flinches before you even get to touch the sticky bits (vet says its serum) on him.
So am after any thoughts on what has caused this please? I haven’t changed the washing powder I use on his numnahs. His girth is a Stubben string girth that gets washed in water only and then dries naturally. My boots are Ariat and get cleaned when really dirty, more often than not just washed off and treated say once every two weeks. My chaps get cleaned but the inside bit that touches Pidge is suede so I don’t clean that.
So as you can see I’m running out of ideas as to what could have caused this! Very frustrating as he was so sore this morning I was in tears when on the phone to the vets. Do I change everything, numnah, girth, my boots and chaps or just try swapping one things at a time once he’s better but running the risk of this happening again? Really don’t want him to have this again as he is in a lot of discomfort.
 
Oh gosh, poor Pidge pony!
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I'm afraid I have no idea, but what a lovely vet you have being so speedy and I hope the drugs kick in quickly and he's comfortable soon.

It does sound like something to do with your boots or his girth, but no idea what that could be if you're sure nothing has changed.
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If it was a reaction to the cooling wash (I presume this is a lavender/tea tree or similar type thing, rather than plain water?) you'd expect all over discomfort.

Not very helpful I'm afraid, but just wanted to say I hope he recovers soon.
 
poor Pidge and yes my vets are excellent
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vet was 100% certain with his diagnosis but said finding the cause was my detective work..........
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thanks for the thoughts much appreciated.
 
Could it maybe be that 2.5hrs getting really sweaty with the cantering/jumping (more so than a "normal" hack if that makes sense?) would have meant that your boots were rubbing on sweatier than normal patches for a longer period of time than is usual, and so it irritated and just chaffed (for want of a better word!) the bits on either side?
 
don't know
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he only really got sweaty at the very end of the ride.
the patches are right at the edge of where the girth finishes and the middle of the patch (top to bottom) is the edge of the numnah, so half under the saddle and half exposed. Sorry should have taken location photos.
Never had a problem before but he has got a bit hairy this last week and the first time ever we had a bit of white sweat around his saddle area.
 
see above for description of location. I know he's a sensitive sole but if it was my boots and chaps chaffing wouldn't it have been a bald patch not a goey patch?
Looks like my Eland Lodge ODE is out of the equation now
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Would rather get Pidge well though than risk making it worse.
 
Thanks do you think my chaps could be rough? they are Ariat and I've had them about 7 years? Should I ditch them and use my best ones for everyday use?
 
Thats really strange Sue, does sound like a re-action, has it rubbed the fur off? Are yours just normal stirrup irons?

Really strange! Give him a big kiss from Ruby and hope he feels better soon x
 
Thanks Lisa,
not its all icky and gooey and his hair is all wrinkled
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Sprenger stirrup irons same as used for past 4 years........
Will give him the kiss from Ruby as he was very grouchy this morning, which is so not like Pidge
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Came by your post totally out of the blue - I think you used to be on our yard. I've had something very similar which was caused by my boots. It was raining at the time and my boots and Cassie's sides were wet. I hacked to the local show only to find that she appeared to have what can only be described as 'friction burns' on her sides. I rode home in a different pair of boots and without stirrups so my feet were nowhere near her sore patches and put some antiseptic cream on her sides when we got home. She was fine after a few days although I have never ridden in the same boots again (even though it was probably just due to the wet). Perhaps Pidge has had something similar - were his sides wet at all? He could have also had a bit of a reaction to the wash/aloe vera on his sensitive 'sticky patches' which has exaggerated his symptoms.
 
Hi ya, no his sides were dry until the last gallop bit. Might try using my newer chaps to see if they aggravated him yesterday? Hopefully he'll be a bit better when I go up tonight.
 
I know but seeing how he reacted when I even went near it let alone touched it I doubt it will be better for Sunday
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Would rather he was fit and well though
 
I don't think Pidge was ridden/jumped any more than when we've been before. Perhaps that first gallop was a little longer than normal, but that's it.

The ONLY thing that springs to mind was whether there was anything in the water that he was splashing up..either in the stream, that water jump (it was very green in that second water thing where the ducks were). Could he have got sand/grit etc stuck between girth and himself which has causes an abrasive reaction?

He looked fit as a fiddle back at the lorry.

Fingers crossed he picks up soon
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