What is this on my horse?

[SOS]

I am panicking a lot right now. I went to put a rug back on my gelding out at grazing this evening. He is out with a small herd and all seems very happy. They are checked daily by the owner of the other horses as part of his grazing livery.

It was a bitterly cold wind so I snapped a quick photo with his rug off to monitor his condition and rugged him up. I then checked his legs and feet which all looked fine. Happy days.

Jump to this evening I’m scrolling through the photos which were on ‘live’. I’ve just noticed he seems to have a swollen wither and raised line down it. This is not a trick of the light as remains when the photo is ‘live’ and he is moving. I’ve taken a few screenshots... I will be checking him tomorrow morning but I feel like an awful horse mother. Any ideas?

ETA. He was also sound as watched him walk over.

 

[Melody Grey]

Looks like a decent amount of swelling, maybe suggesting impact? Could he have run into something? Is he turned out with others?
Looks too straight and precise for a kick mark though?

 

[holeymoley]

Has the rug pinched or rubbed?

 

[SOS]

Thanks for replies.

The field is hedge lined so nothing to really run into bar some trees. There is two round bale metal feeders but they would be lower than that on him. He is turned out with others, a few ponies and another similar sized but much older horse.

The rug was taken off a week ago (for the nice weather we have had). Previous to that it had been on since being turned out and was removed and checked every few days. So I think it’s unlikely to be the rug unfortunately.

 

[The Jokers Girl]

This is totally out there and appreciate one of the least likely possibilities but has he rolled and something, a stick perhaps, gone under the skin.
I only suggest it as it didn't happen to a friends horse, but on it's side mid rib cage, rather than wither area.
The horse was acting off for months, but didnt show any obvious signs of distress when it happened, she had physio, saddle fitters etc and no-one could work out why the horse seemed uncomfortable, went for body xray and the bloody thing was found, being absorbed by the body. Surgery needed and a lot of antibiotics to help it heal.

 

[holeymoley]

Possibly an insect bite? The line is the fluid.

Bit of a wild guess!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Oh that's an odd one! Hope you get to the bottom of it, it looks really bizarre.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Could be a reaction to a bite ..An external foreign body in there or even a a neck worm

 

[SOS]

Thanks everyone. Speculation helped me calm down a bit. Eagerly awaiting morning to go check and will update.

 

[PurBee]

That does look unusual. Very straight and uniform - i initially thought it is his neck chip migrated down to his wither? Have read that its a common occurrence for neck chips to migrate along the neck or down the foreleg. Do you have a chip scanner? Looks too big to be a chip though unless there’s lots of inflammation caused by it surfacing and moving?

Wild idea i know, but throwing it on the pile of possibilities!

 

[PurBee]

Found this microchip resurfacing enquiry on here back in 2012:

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/re-surfacing-micro-chip.524183/

The standard chip is half inch long, there’s A mini chip quarter inch long used more recently.

 

[Lois Lame]

Is it a splinter? How does that line feel if you touch it? What is his reaction to you touching it?

I'd take some warm salty water with me and bath it a little to see if it helps in any way. Warm salty water won't do any harm, anyway.

 

[Squeak]

Any update this morning SOS?

 

[SOS]

Sorry for the delay. I have been going up every morning and monitoring the “line”. It is rock hard I.e bone hard, the wither is not actually swollen it was the angle originally, the other side does not have such a line, he is completely unreactive to me prodding and poking, he is not lame and it is not changing.

I’ve asked my vets at work what they think (two formerly being equine vets) and they have said to keep a very close eye and it could be muscle atrophy on that side - but the question is what is causing it?

 

[TPO]

Do you have a picture with his rug on?

It could be pressure from the rug over his withers and perhaps a seam over the shoulder causing the swelling?

 

[DressageCob]

What an odd thing. I don't know what the answer is, but it does look like it sits where the seam of a rug would be. But it being rock hard is a bit strange. I hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[stormox]

Looks like an insect bite and the fluid is tracking down it'll probably be gone in a couple of days

 

[rosiesue]

Could it be that horse has lost muscle for some reason and it's the scapula bone ridge ? which may also be inflamed? making it appear more prominent?
ETA I wonder though if it's a little high for that..hard to tell on this phone

 

[ponyparty]

Muscle atrophy on a shoulder can be a sign of neck arthritis. Not saying that this is, of course; just sharing my own experience. In my horse's case it was coupled with very slight shortness in front on that side, initially attributed to coffin joint arthritis by my vet. It was only 6 months or so later, when the shoulder was more clearly atrophied, that another vet identified the potential for neck arthritis.

 

[SOS]

It doesn’t look far off where the point of the scapula is. I don’t have any decent rug pictures but it has been on since mid Feb with it being removed for him to be checked over and nothing has been noted.

Whilst he’s unbothered, I definitely am, and I will be getting the vet to check. I will update but doubt it will be next week as need to work out logistics of me working, vet coming down, field with no facilities, using a different vet as he’s too far etc.

 

[Lois Lame]

I realise now that the long, early morning shadows (in the first photographs) made the line look more prominent.

I'd investigate the way the rug sits in that area. Put it on, slide it into the position that it works itself into, and examine the inside of the rug that lays on that area.

 

[Lois Lame]

Sorry for the delay. I have been going up every morning and monitoring the “line”. It is rock hard I.e bone hard, the wither is not actually swollen it was the angle originally, the other side does not have such a line, he is completely unreactive to me prodding and poking, he is not lame and it is not changing.

I’ve asked my vets at work what they think (two formerly being equine vets) and they have said to keep a very close eye and it could be muscle atrophy on that side - but the question is what is causing it?
View attachment 69348

It's this photo that makes me think it's the rug.

I've had another look at it (this photo) after writing my post, and I remember thinking that it looks like the rug sits UP TO this line, sort of against it. I'd definitely investigate the rug issue.

 

[SOS]

It's this photo that makes me think it's the rug.

I've had another look at it (this photo) after writing my post, and I remember thinking that it looks like the rug sits UP TO this line, sort of against it. I'd definitely investigate the rug issue.

Yes il have a look at it again, swap rugs or completely remove it. It’s a turnout with hood but there is definitely a seam between the neck and body and I wonder if the cut there just doesn’t quite agree with his shoulder shape.

 

[chaps89]

I've seen that type of lump before, but it was accompanied by chronic lameness, they never did find the cause. Strange to see the exact same type of lump but for him to be sound (which is obviously preferable!)

 

[SOS]

He is also recovering from a check ligament injury on the opposite foreleg. I did wonder if he wasn’t moving straight and therefore it’s caused that but atrophy on the non lame leg doesn’t really make sense. He is sound and straight moving when trotted up and was cleared by a vet before being turned away. He’s been sound from this injury (as they often are with CLs) since November.