Vertical Lines on Barrel

[FjordBCRF]

Has anyone experienced lines like this on their horse before? They are on both sides, aren’t from rain/getting rinsed, or wearing a fly sheet. They look like wrinkles, don’t brush away, and are smooth when I run my hand over. I originally thought they may be from his fly sheet, but today he didn’t need it and they were apparent when I brought him in. They are completely unnoticeable where he isn’t clipped. The vet is coming out next week for dental/vaccines so I was going to have him take a look then unless anything warrants having him out sooner.

He is totally normal on all things personality, eating/drinking/pooping/peeing.

[2tempe]

My horse had them last year, in fall. So did one or two other horses at his barn. No explanation, but they were nothing in the end.

UPDATED to add: I was grooming my boy today and there were the vertical lines. Faint but there as he is beginning to noticeably shed his summer coat. He is not, by the way, clipped as OP’s horse is.

[lenapesadie]

My horse gets these too. Usually mid summer until it cools off. Every year I see them and immediately panic. Is he too fat? Too thin? My current hypothesis is that it’s permanent sweat tracks in his coat lol.

[fizzyfuzzybuzzy]

I’ve been told they are tight fascial lines and/or the superficial fly-twitch muscles. Oh, and also lymphatic drainage lines. But the true consensus is they are not generally something that indicates issues by themselves. I wonder if anyone is doing actual research into this?

[Jealoushe]

Tight fascia after release, the toxins and what not are draining and the fascia is releasing!

Fascia in Horses - Danish veterinary exploring uncharted territory - The...

[ElementFarm]

My mare has these 100% of the time. She has them on her barrel, neck, and little ones on her butt. I believe they are Lines of Blaskoe, which have to do with embryonic development. I read someplace that they’re often more noticeable on rabicanos, but don’t know if that’s true. A lot of people note that they come and go on their horses, but my horse’s never change.

[FjordBCRF]

Here’s a pic of him before he was clipped and if you look real hard, you can make them out! It does seem to look more like lines of Blaschko with how vertical they are; they don’t really match how the fascia lines cross cross in that area.

[2tempe]

He is a good looking horse!

[Dutchmare433]

My horse gets them sometimes too. No idea why

[FjordBCRF]

Thank you!

[shamrock]

My horse has these too! Good to know others have them. I thought they might be stretch marks.

[2tempe]

Ha Ha!! Mine is a stallion so I can rule that out!