Okay, so here is the entire issue, My horse had acquired a very sore,squishy lump directly on his spine, when it didn’t go away after a few days I called the vet out to which he said it was a saddle sore and to stay off of my horse for 2 weeks and it would go away and continue to treat it with a liniment, I did as directed but the bump never actually went away it just became hard but no longer sore, I also got a thicker pad and had no more issues until the other day, now I did use a thinner memory foam pad as it is hot and I was worried he would overheat much faster than if I had the thicker pad. The next ay he had two more of these bumps but not in a place where there was very much pressure on his back and the areas were covered by the memory foam, they are also directly on his spine, I am becoming concerned and I do not want my horses back loaded with theses awful injuries whatever they are, I really need some input here because many people at my barn say they really don’t think they are from the saddle, any help is appreciated but please no rude comments or bashing of any sort:(
You need a saddle fitter ASAP to come and evaluate! It definitely sounds like your saddle is giving him sores and padding will probably not help… A saddle fitter will advise whether shims can help or if you need a new saddle. Plus I would not ride this horse until the sores are gone, nor would I listen to the people in the barn… Get a saddle fitter to properly evaluate!
If the fitter determines that your saddle does fit (but it doesn’t really sound like it) adding improper padding under a saddle (well fitted or not) can also cause pressure points and make your horse sore (think about putting a thick insole into well fitted shoes).
I’d either ask my vet to come out or would find someone who would. That was a bold move to diagnose an unknown painful swelling along the spine without seeing the horse.
[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8257186]
I’d either ask my vet to come out or would find someone who would. That was a bold move to diagnose an unknown painful swelling along the spine without seeing the horse.[/QUOTE]
Did I miss where she said the vet didn’t come out? It sounds like the vet evaluated the horse when he was “called out” to see the horse.
OP, good luck with your horse. I’ve seen allergies combine with pressure to cause fiberous scar tissue bumps that respond to direct steroid injection. However, they are not typically painful. Don’t forget that shearing and pulling on the skin is also a form of pressure and not just weight.
Where are you located? I would have a saddle fitter and the vet back out. . . It could very well be a weird allergic reaction, but my guess is that it’s a poorly fitting saddle combined with the heat and friction of the saddle pad.
Could be an allergic reaction to something in the pads, soap residue or any type of spray you apply then put the pads and saddle over.
Soft swellings right on top of bone don’t go away very fast since there’s just mostly skin there and the vascular system can’t pump it out as effectively as it can in soft tissue.
I would give him a good scrub with something like plain blue Dawn, Orvus or others that have no perfumes, colors, additives or conditioners. Just plain soap. Rinse really, really well and don’t put the saddle on for at least a few days.
Ive dealt with this on several horses that would break out from products with the heat from the saddle and pads. Don’t spray or apply ANYTHING under where the saddle goes. Especially fly sprays that can really burn the skin when it gets hot under that saddle.
There is also something that I haven’t had to deal with for years, and that is called warbles. A larvae burrows under the skin, and raises a lump. In an area that receives no pressure or irritation they gradually go away. However, under a saddle they can become a permanent problem. I used a thick pad, cut a circular hole in it at that spot, and use it until the whole thing clears up.
I would hope there is someone knowledgeable in your area to assess your saddle fit. Tack fit is extremely important. NO saddle should sit directly on the spine and it would be really easy for you to figure out if this is happening. Stick your saddle on WITHOUT a pad and look down the gullet. There should be daylight. Then sit in it and have someone else look down the gullet. If there is contact with the spine, you should NOT be riding in this saddle. If you cant tell, put baby powder on your horse’s back and see where it sticks to your saddle/gets disrupted on your horse’s hair.
If your saddle has decent clearance, consider other causes, namely insects. Some horses get reactions to the bites of certain insects that take a while to go down (mine does). There are some particularly large black horseflies in my area that tend to land on the spine and bite there. Occasionally, it causes a lump that takes a week or so to go down. Yuck, warbles.
