"Horns" on my gelding's forehead

[RizenPhoenix09]

Alright, COTHERs I have done a bit of research on this and cannot find anything of use. So here I am wondering if any of you know what this interesting anomaly my gelding has might be called.

My boy is a 9-year-old TB who had these small bony protrusions when I got him as a 6-year-old. In the photo I have provided you can see their location circled in yellow. The one on the left side of the photo is visible if you look closely. These oddities are a bit smaller in diameter than the head of my thumb and less than a 1/4" in height. They are not prominent when you look at him (i.e. they do not stand out unless you know to look) but can very easily be felt. They seem to be uniformly located on both sides of his head; the photo does not show this clearly since he is at a bit of an angle and I had to approximate the location of the one covered by his forelock. He is nonreactive (no pain) over them and they have not changed in size or shape since I have had him. They do not impact him in any way that I can tell but are an interesting talking point when people meet him. I jokingly call them his monster horns.

I am wondering if there is anyone out there that might be able to shed some light on this for me. I have not had a vet look at them, although he has his teeth done/checked 2xs a year as well as his regular checkups so they are not impacting him medically that I can tell. Honestly, I never thought to ask the vet; I will when he comes for spring shots!

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[xQHDQ]

Could be suture line periostitis?

[Scribbler]

Some horses just have these, a normal variation.

https://www.retiredracehorseproject.org/2013-trainers/rebecca-bowman/428-horns

Also Google “Moyle Horse.”

I think the frontal bosses are really cool, actually!

[CHT]

I had a thoroughbred back in the 90’s with horns. He was a lovely futurity/maturity hunter with me, but had spent a little while on the track before me. They looked like something he was just born with, and in the same location as the pictures above. A fellow boarder had a horse with bumps lower down (also an OTTB), but those were evidently because he couldn’t seem to avoid bashing his head on his feed tub.

[RizenPhoenix09]

@Scribbler

Some horses just have these, a normal variation.

https://www.retiredracehorseproject.org/2013-trainers/rebecca-bowman/428-horns

Also Google “Moyle Horse.”

I think the frontal bosses are really cool, actually!

Eureka we have a winner! I KNEW someone out there would know what these were. The photo in the link matches him exactly as do images associated with frontal skull bossing. Like you @Scribbler I think they are endearing and as my nickname for him is “Monster” (because he is the total opposite of one) I find it appropriate that he has “monster horns.” Thank you for this information. Looks like his heart-shaped star is not the only unique marking my little man has to distinguish him from the bay brigade!

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[ryansgirl]

Back when I was in college (many years as go) I worked in the barns (university had a big equestrian program) and there was a horse there with those horns. He was a 17.2+ hand monster (WBxTB cross who was bred there). He had no manners and was just not nice to be around. Sure he was flashy and nice looking but that was it. We had a mutual dislike for each other - I wouldn’t put up with his BS at all and that didn’t make him happy. People asked about his “horns” and I told them it was because he was part devil and after seeing how he behaved they could see why I said that :winkgrin:.

[BWP]

We had one in for breaking recently with these too! Apparently more common in tbs like him

[Laurierace]

I had a tb years ago name Bethatasitmay aka horny. It was funny looking when he had blinkers on

[bdj]

Wasn’t Borrego named that because he had horns, too?

[yaya]

I had a Dutch Warmblood who had those horns. His nickname in Holland was Diablo. I bought him at four, and eventually the horns got smaller (his attitude never did, until he died at 24, he was still a pistol!).