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> Horse health > Common Horse Injuries
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Many Bumps and Minor Hematomas on a
Horses Body are Common Injuries from Regular Horse Activity
Have you ever found a bump or lump on your horse’s body
and wondered exactly what is going on? If you’ve seen bumps
or lumps on your horse’s chest, ribs, flanks, or haunches,
chances are it is nothing to worry about. In fact, it is
quite common for horses to have large, soft lumps on their
body. You will want to keep an eye on any lumps or bumps
you’ve found to ensure they are not anything more than a
small injury. |
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How A Horse Can Get A Lump
One of the most common ways a horse can get a lump on their
body is from hitting or slightly injuring themselves. As unusual as this may
sound, many horses will hit or try to kick themselves
because of annoying flies. Horses will utilize their animal
instinct, only worrying about getting the fly away. They
rarely think of the consequences of hitting themselves. |
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Another reason a horse might have a lump or a bump is
because their caretaker might not be taking care of them
well. If the caretaker turns the animal too sharply when
they are putting them into the barn, the horse can bump
their shoulders or hips on the wall. You must be very
careful to avoid this, as it can really cause pain to the
horse.
What The Bumps Look Like
If you are dealing with a bump or lump that is a result of
kicking or the horse being bumped into a stall, there are
certain characteristics the bump will have.
The bump could be rather large, but don’t let that aspect
scare you. At first, the lump is filled with fluid and may
look like a water blister under the skin. Sometimes the skin
will be broken and if you touch the area, it often feels
warm. If there is a broken blood vessel under the skin, the
horse may be suffering from a hemotoma. They can be quite
large and won’t go down until there is enough pressure at
the site for the blood vessel to stop draining. Many will go
away without treatment, however, you should have vet check
them out to be sure nothing else is going on with the horse.
It should be noted that it can take a month or more for the
hematoma to disappear completely.
Treating A Bump or Lump
If you do notice a bump or lump, you need to take proper
first aid measures. Apply pressure to the area that is
injured, if possible. You can wrap the area if it is in a
location that allows you to do so.
Another treatment option is to use a cold water hose or an
ice pack on the area. You should apply the cold compress for
15 minutes, and then rest the area for an hour. Then repeat
the process. It is important to give this break in between
cold applications.
Although you may be tempted to drain these types of
injuries, you shouldn’t. Never drain the bump yourself,
unless a vet is instructing you to do so. Often vets will
not even want to drain the hematoma. If draining is an
option, vets will do it being careful not to infect the area
with bacteria from the environment.
Most vets like to leave the hematoma alone because of the
high risk for infections from bacteria. You must have a
drain in the hematoma and you must continuously flush the
area clean.
When a hematoma heals on its own, the area where it was
present may look quite different. Deformation is common,
however it can often be avoided with treatment from the
veterinarian. Massage therapy is also quite helpful in
avoiding scars.
After time and treatment, the bump or lump should go away
and the horse will be unaffected overall.
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Read the next horse health tips article on Emergency First Aid. |
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