Update on bumpy face...could it be Ant bites?!!

[madhector]

Was done the road poo picking today, and noticed that there were alot red ant nests, was wondering if maybe the bumps were Ant bites, as they seem to be mainly on his face but also there are some on his legs, which I thought were mud fever but looking closely they are the same as the bumps on his face.

What do you think? was just a thought, but never seen a horse with ant bites before, so no idea what they would look like, any ideas on how to stop it if it is ants? (other than keeping him in)

 

[snurse]

Last summer, one of my horses lay down in an ants nest - not the brightest thing to do. She was covered in bites. I couldn't understand why she was behaving so oddly in the field but she was just so itchy. Covered in lumps. Soothing cream and a couple of days and she was right as rain!

 

[madhector]

did they go sort of lumpy, with a bit of gunk in the middle?

 

[snurse]

Not gunky, just fairly hard lumps - went away quickly too. Could be some other sort of bite. With all the damp weather there seem to be all sorts of midges and flies about. OR, your horse could react differently to ants. In other words, I don't know! Just wanted to let you know that ants do bite horses, and as the lumps are on the face, he probably shoved his head into a nest or something. Or he could be reacting to a plant or thorns.

 

[madhector]

Thanks for your info

 

[dieseldog]

I would have thought they were tick bites. Especially if they are on his face and legs. Ours get covered in them, if you look really closely you might be able to see some small ticks in some of them.

 

[mrsbloggett]

Could be hay mites? We had these in our hay a few years ago - they ate the horses alive whilst they were eating the hay - their faces and lower legs were covered in bumps. Regretfully I think the only solution for infested hay is to burn the lot of it!

 

[leighwarby]

Yesterday when we brought our pony in her legs were a mess loads od scabs that had been bleeding and a couple of them had yellowy puss , she also had some on her face , I washed her off with hibiscrub then caked her legs in sudocrem and then put her back out , I went to her this morning and there was no more on her legs but a fresh one on her face , i have been trying to think what could be biting her , she shares her field with a norweign fjord which hasnt been bitten at all!! Then I remembered my son complaining when he sat down in the fiels weeks before that there were ants on him, I think this is what has been biting her but aint quite sure , what does everyone else think??? I have purchased her some turnout boots to try and evade the problem!!!!

 

[aran]

are lot are getting bumpy faces and around there pasterns due to harvest mites. if they get really bad then front-line spray is the only thing which kills them.