how would you identify a saddle sore on a horse?

Question

my horse has some bumps on a certain area on it's back and i'm not sure if it's fly bites or a saddle sore...so how would u identify a saddle sore?

Answer 1

A saddle sore would generally be sore to the touch but so can some bites. Most sores involve rubbing the hair off and sometimes the skin and causing bleeding. Theey also appear most often on raised areas like the withers, tops of the shoulder blades (below withers) and areas of the spine that are high if they are under weight or roach backed. Just causing bumps, especially in random patterns is unlikely. Are flies in season in your area? (it's winter here) Another possibility is an allergy. Did you get a new saddle pad or wash yours recently? Or start a new fly spray or other chemical? Try to find a pattern to when the bumps appear and what has been done recently. Good luck

Answer 2

A saddle sore usually becomes a hairless scabby tender like area. An old saddle sore, depending on the color of the horse, usually grows back in white, just like any other place the hair has been rubbed off so bad that the pigment is lost. Ride your horse until he is nice and sweaty one day, take off your saddle and look at his back. If you see any spots that are perfectly dry, then those are the areas that are getting a lot of pressure while you are riding. Try a thicker pad or different saddle if you do see any dry areas.

Answer 3

it is probaly a bite from another horse or an insect. the saddle sores my warmblood has had was on her girth area. it was red and didnt have hair and it was puffy. i would look at the bottom of your saddle and see if anything is poking or looks rough on the bottom. also check your saddle pads, if you have recently washed them you may not have gotten all the soap out of the pad and that could rub into your horse's coat. good luck and i hope your horse feels better soon!!

Answer 4

The area of riding horses that is under saddle, or the shoulder area of those driven in harness, is frequently the site of injuries to the skin and deeper soft and bony tissues. Clinical signs vary according to the depth of injury and the complications caused by secondary infection. Sores affecting only the skin are characterized by inflammatory changes that range from erythematous to papular, vesicular, pustular, and finally necrotic. Frequently, the condition starts as an acute inflammation of the hair follicles and progresses to a purulent folliculitis. Affected areas show hair loss and are swollen, warm, and painful. The serous or purulent exudate dries and forms crusts. Advanced lesions are termed “galls.” When the skin and underlying tissues are damaged more seriously, abscesses may develop. They are characterized by warm, fluctuating, painful swellings from which purulent and serosanguineous fluid can be aspirated. Severe damage to the skin and subcutis or deeper tissues results in dry or moist necrosis. Chronic saddle sores are characterized by a deep folliculitis/furunculosis (boils) with fibrosis or a localized indurative and proliferative dermatitis. Lesions are usually caused by poorly fitting tack.
Identification and elimination of the offending portion of tack is more important than any other treatment. Excoriations and inflammation of the skin of the saddle and harness regions are treated as any other dermatosis. Absolute rest of the affected parts is necessary. During the early or acute stages, astringent packs (Burow’s solution) are indicated. Chronic lesions and those superficially infected may be treated by warm applications and topical or systemic antibiotics. Hematomas should be aspirated or incised. Necrotic tissue should be removed surgically. In severe folliculitis and furunculosis, antibiotics are always indicated...