Lumps on back and weird sweat pattern?

[Deleted]

Talin has had some small lumps on his back in the past, they didn't hurt him and just seemed to go away eventually, they were tiny and under the back of his saddle area.

I had a new saddle fitted for him about a month ago and now these lumps have come back and got really quite big, more on one side than the other. He's not at all sensitive on them.

I realised since changing saddles I'd also swapped from wool to cotton numnhas so have swapped back for the last 3 rides though that hasn't made any difference yet.

I'm not sure if this is related, but today he worked quite hard and got very sweaty - everywhere except under his saddle! He's normally not a sweaty horse, and I don't think has ever sweated under any saddle I've ridden him in.

Any ideas what might be causing the lumps? obviously having changed saddles that's playing on my mind but I'm hoping it could be the numnah? Any experiences?

I'm going to call the saddler on Monday.

[donnalex]

Are they nodules?

[marychick]

Could be an allergic reaction to the sweat or the numnah? My friends horse is allergic to loads of things and always presents itself as lumps under the skin? Just a guess though.

[mandal]

Urticaria (allergy lumps) is usually very itchy though in my experience. If you scratch them (lightly) does he want more scratches? If he does that would point me to urticaria. If there is an allegy the lumps can come up anywhere on the body where there is rubbing or pressure it doesn't necessarily mean there is something in the saddle or numnah he is allergic to. I know this condition very well. It might be worth looking at his feed if you suspect an allergic response.

[midgey]

My cob had them last year ,they were more one side than the other . I got the vet out to have a look he said they were fibrous nodules ,can' t remember the correct term. They caused no pain and did not worry the horse. Vet said to always wash the horse down well if it got sweaty( she is not a sweaty horse ) use a good numnah .I now use a wool or sheep skin one and have had no more trouble . Don't really know what caused it.

[Derek Clark]

Are you by any chance washing his numnah in biological powder? I've known that be a problem...

Derek

[specialized]

I was talking to our vet about this last week and if it is nodules they almost always occur as a protein reaction or bite reaction, are invariably under the saddle and are usually not painful. If they are sore or creating a nuisance they can be injected with steroid but this is not without side-effects and they often recur.
The fact that these have recently got worse makes you suspect reaction to the new saddle/numnah.

[Deleted]

PN - I'm not sure what nodules are so don't know! How do I tell the difference between a nodule and an urticaria lump?

Mandal - He doesn't show any kind of reaction at all, doesn't mind me rubbing or poking them but equally doesn't seem to especially enjoy it. .My old TB had urticaria lumps and they do look and feel like that but his were dotted about on his back, not just under the saddle, his were always worse in summer when his coat was thinner.

Derek yes I do use bio washing powder, but have done since I got Talin so that's not something new, think I'll buy some non-bio just in case.

I checked his back after riding today and they seem to have shrunk slightly so I wonder if he is just a sensitive soul who needs a wool numnah?!

[Derek Clark]

I haven't been following your saddle journey in great detail but I do remember you were having issues and thinking of changing, Michelle. Have these bumps come along with a new saddle...? What kind have you got now, out of interest?

[Deleted]

Yes I got a new one. It's a Dever working hunter, XW for fatty and his arabian "well sprung ribs" ;D

As I say, he had them previously but they were much smaller and just came and went. These seem to have come up much more since I changed saddles. I was riding in this saddle for about a month before the saddler checked it and he put some extra stuffing in as it was sitting a bit low once I was on board. I started riding in cotton numnahs after the saddler visit and that seems to be when the lumps got worse.

Talin does seem very happy in his saddle, he's standing nicely to be tacked up for the first time in his life and walks out nicely keeping his neck relaxed and low (until we speed up when he assumes the typical excited arab posture!).

[Derek Clark]

Hmm, perhaps there's something in the combination of cotton numnah and bio washing powder? I don't know, just throwing out ideas here...

Anyway, glad you've got a saddle that works!

[Deleted]

I hope so. I'll get some non-bio for his numnahs and stick to the wool ones, hopefully I'm not just imagining it and they are starting to go down a bit since changing back to wool, in which case I'll stick with that

Thanks for advice everyone, all things to keep in mind

[specialized]

A nodule tends to be a hard lump about pea-sized just under the skin, they don't tend to change much in size and sometimes disappear by themselves, but are usually not sensitive to pressure or painful.

[Deleted]

The biggest one is about pea sized, the rest are smaller, more like lentils but all hard. I can't move his skin over them, they seem to be actually in his skin if that makes sense?

[specialized]

Sounds like nodules.