What should I do?

[Lmc1]

Hi, my friend took my horse on a charity ride on Sunday. It was the first time he has been away without me in his life so I was nervous as it was but then I checked on him the next day and he had this on his girth! My trainer said it was a hematoma from the girth being on for a long time as the ride was 3 ish hours. He is used to this tho as he goes hunting but I havnt ridden him since, just lunged him for 15 mins when I first saw it to see how it was. It was firm ish but still able to squish if that makes sense. I’m not sure weather to ride him or not as the girth would make that uncomfortable I’m assuming, but I’ll check on it ahain tomorrow as it would have been there 6 days tmr. What should I do, should I give him time off untill it goes away? Mt trainer is telling me to ride him but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Tia

 

[LEC]

It just looks like a bit raised - I have had this through insect bites and allergies - it doesn’t look like a haematoma. If it was a girth rub you would know as would have lost hair or had abrasion.
If the horse is happy with you applying pressure with your fingers or you rubbing your hand over it with a firm pressure then I would crack on. If there is any abrasion or loss of hair I would be looking at the girth. If the horse is sensitive about it, I would be waiting for it to go down.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

I wouldn’t ride and I’d just ring your vet for advice.

 

[rabatsa]

I would class this as a girth gall. Not all are rubbed raw. I would not be riding until it has gone down.

Once a horse has galled i have found that it can reoccur without much provocation.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I used to ride a pony for someone that had been out of work. The old boy that owned it always did the tacking up and he always girthed up really tightly. That pony came up with a huge soft swelling on the girth line so I rode him bareback for quite a while. Could an overtight girth be what has happened here?

 

[Amymay Again]

I wouldn't ride until the swelling has gone down. In the meantime, cold compress and plenty of turnout.

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't put a girth on top of that. If it's not a girth gall now, it would likely become one if you ran a girth over that and rode.

 

[rhino]

Oedema not haematoma, it’ll be filled with fluid not blood.

I have seen this a couple of times (once over-tightened girth and the other after a longer than usual ride). Both resolved with as much turnout as possible, walking out/lungeing, and a light massage if the horse tolerates it. I wouldn’t be riding until it has dissipated.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It certainly looks as if the girth was over-tightened, I wouldn't ride until the oedema has gone down and wouldn't lend my horse to the friend again.

 

[Goldenstar]

It looks like oedema , lead about ,you could also lunge him.
Turn out as much as can
Cold hosing may help but it will sort itself .
The girth is a likely cause .
If it’s not reducing on its own in 48 hours I would speak with the vet .
I would not girth a horse with a swelling like that.
It’s extremely unlikely that this will happen but if the horse shows signs of fever seek a vets advice at once .