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Over the past five years, vet Stephen Ashdown has written many articles, spoken on equine matters and contributed widely to horse magazines.

Here he reproduces in the form of questions and answers about 100 topics, all of them common problems which afflict horses.

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Lumps and Bumps
Q My part-Irish Draught gelding has developed lumps on his shoulders and saddle patch. They first appeared when his rug was accidentally left on while he was turned out and he came in extremely hot and sweaty.

They were the size of a small pea to start with and I assumed they were insect bites. However, they did not disappear and some of them increased in size, especially those in the saddle area. They look unsightly and one near his withers has got a flat top to it and has developed hard skin on top. The lumps are hard, have no head on them and do not cause any discomfort when pushed or squeezed. I have tried Silica, Sulphur and Carboveg homoeopathic remedies for one month, but they made no difference. Could the lumps be blocked seat glands?

A The sort of lumps you describe are relatively common in horses. They are usually an allergic reaction but the problem is determining what your horse is reacting to. Some vets think they are caused by a reaction to proteins in the body which is sparked off by the heat and rubbing action of a saddle or rug. Others think the lumps are started by a fly or parasite bite. Such lumps are not necessarily itchy but are usually composed of many inflammatory cells collecting together.

It is possible to use anti-inflammatory agents when the lumps first appear. A steroid injection from your vet usually makes them disappear quite quickly but this is a bit too heavy-handed for many people. Anti-inflammatory creams applied to the skin may also work but it depends on how long the lumps have been there and whether they have become fibrous and therefore less amenable to anti-inflammatory treatment.

The main means of stopping further lumps is to make sure the skin over the affected areas does not become too hot and sweaty. The application of cream from your vet may stop lumps developing further and getting too bad or you could try some of the alternative creams on the market such as calendula (marigold) creams or those containing cedrus deodara.

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