unknown skin blemish

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klb

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Hi, I hope i have put this in the right section. looking for a first horse purchase for my daughter after full loaning for many years. We have been looking for 5 months (looked at approx 20 horses) but my daughter just hasn't felt the connection until now. The horse in question is everything my daughter has been looking for, my daughter is passionate about her jumping and she most definitely ticks this box, we have been trying the horse out all weekend and she has not put a foot wrong. Now here is my niggling doubt. The mare had a 5 stage vetting carried out on the 22nd June, she passed but the vet made a note of two pimple type spots, about the size of a quarter of a little finger nail, on the inside of the top of the leg. The vet remarked that it was inconclusive and couldn't 100% rule out sarcoids. what other skin condition could this be? The owner said that they have been there the whole time she has owned her, 4 years, but haven't changed in any way. The client that had the vetting done decided not to take the chance. What are peoples views on it. thank you
 
It is a difficult one, they are there and your insurance will probably exclude sarcoids and possibly other skin conditions to cover themselves so you need to weigh up the risk to yourself if they do change once you get her home, treatment for 2 tiny sarcoids will be inexpensive in the scheme of things but if they spread they can be a real problem.
The owners may be totally genuine saying they have always been there and not changed so they could well be cysts and totally harmless, I would probably take the gamble if the horse was in every way ideal but the advice I would give a client would be to get a vet I knew to take a look and give an opinion before doing a vetting, if my vet felt it was not an issue then the vetting could be done otherwise I would say walk away if it is something you are not prepared to deal with if required, rather a ramble but there is no clear cut answer, price also needs to be taken into account as well as gut instinct about the sellers and how honest they are.
 
After 20 horses, if your daughter really likes this mare and she does *all* that you want her to do, I would probably take the chance, after negotiating on the price, unless it has already been reduced because of the failed sale. If there are any other niggles at all, I would carry on looking.
I bought a 2 yr old cob who developed a sarcoid on her face long after purchase, it was excised by my vet 2 yrs ago and hasn't reappeared, nor has she developed any others.
I would imagine that there could be other reasons for a skin blemish, over the years I have developed all sorts of skin blemishes myself, none of them are cancerous. I have had 'lumps' removed from dogs, which haven't been cancerous. It would be worth discussing alternative diagnoses with your vet, I imagine.
 
I would buy her in an instant from what you describe. If they are sarcoids, they are tiny and in a good place and removing them should be easy, if they show any changes in future.
 
I would take a load of photos from different angles and send them to a specialist vet for a second opinion - for the sake of a little more money I would want to know, especially for a childs pony. Heart breaking if they are something nasty and spread in a years time.

I think Professor Knottenbelt at Liverpool University used to give opinions from photos. Sarcoid is such a generic term, there are many different types some more likely to spread and some more likely to be treatable. it's like cancer - in one person it's an inconvenience, in another person it's life changing.

For myself I would gamble but I am happy to take a tough decision if needed. I've also personally witnessed an amazing turnaround from toothpaste on a nasty open bleeding lump, where the horse had been lazered to treat them before.
 
Thank you for all your replies, the owner had a copy of the vetting that she sent to me, the vet says small cutaneous nodule on right thigh and small area of dry scaly skin near right udder. Going to get a second opinion and thank you polos mum, i'll get the vet to take photos and send them also to the professor as a third opinion if he still offers this service
 
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