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  Discussion on Wet spots near withers
Author Message
New Member:
Scraig

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 1:13 am:

I have a 13-year-old TB and he has a wet spot on each side near the withers. The wet areas are about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. I've noticed them for months now but I have dismissed them as saliva thinking he was just biting at flies. But now I'm beginning to wonder if it's something else. The spots are quite wet but they don't have any grass or hay on them as they would if he was biting at flies. It's quite dry here so it's not rain. I haven't seen them anywhere else on him and his pasture mate, an older TB, doesn't have the wet areas. It seems to me that I read somewhere on this site about such wet spots but I can't seem to find the information so I'm not sure if I saw it or not. I welcome any ideas. Thank you.
Member:
Banthony

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 8:49 am:

Susan,

I have noticed the same thing on my thoroughbred at times. It looks like sweat and is very cool to the touch. I never did figure it out.
Member:
Tuckern

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 10:48 am:

Hi Susan,

Could the pasture-mate be licking on the other horse, thus making his withers wet?

Just throwing ideas out.

Nicole
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 1:38 pm:

two things i can think of. These wither spots might have less hair because of saddle rub. although, he is out to pasture and is not being ridden at the time you see them. That area will look and feel wetter than the other areas on his back because the hair is thinner there. I see an area under the leg like that even though i haven't ridden in weeks. Its just that the hair grows less or differently so you see it more. He might still be sweaty the same allover. just the hair absorbs it better in other areaas.

Other thing is can he even bite that area himself? it could be an indicator that he is in pain right there, and should monitor it. Put on some linimint and rub the area and let it relax him, then in a few hours see if the spots are there again.
Member:
Banthony

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 2:35 pm:

On my horse it is definitely coming from the horse like sweat. It's just that he generally isn't sweating anywhere else and it is cool, almost clammy, to the touch.

It isn't in an area where he could be biting himself. But since he doesn't seem to be having any problems I've always ignored it. It only happens off and on.
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 3:24 pm:

It is not unusual for the site of an injury to sweat like this when no other part of the body is sweating. I have a mare who received a kick in the flank and no sweats from that spot.

I am wondering if your saddle fits your horse correctly, or if perhaps it is too tight in the withers and could have injured her.
New Member:
Scraig

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 7:41 pm:

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the input. I know it's not the saddle because I've never ridden him. He's a rescue that I received in April and I've just been focused on his recovery, which has been fairly involved. He also has stringhalt which is a whole different story.I'm not sure he can reach that area either to bite at it.

As with Linda's horse, it is cold to touch and I just have the feeling that it's coming from the horse himself.

It doesn't seem to bother him and it doesn't even appear every day. I need to mention that when it's dry the spot is a different color than the rest of him. It's a lighter brown(he's a bay)and there appears to be a granular deposit there. I've always assumed salt or another mineral.

I'm not worried per say, just wondering if anyone had a similar situation. I'm rather new to horses and am beginning to think there's an infinite amount of "stuff" that can go wrong with them. But I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks again.

Susan
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Monday, Sep 11, 2006 - 9:43 pm:

Could he have been injured there before you got him? It just sounds so much like the spot my mare has, except she has not granulation.
Member:
Banthony

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 12, 2006 - 9:32 am:

My horse is an ex-race horse now basically retired. He never seemed to have a problem or soreness with his withers, so I don't know about injury. I haven't seen the sweating for about a year, but I think it happened in the fall.
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