Welts on my horse's neck?

Question

My horse has welts along her neck. The sizes range from dime to quarter. What are they and how can I get rid of them?

Answer 1

First, how many welts are there (a lot or just one or two)?  How long have they been there?  Are they covered in hair?  Do they bother your horse?

They could be a couple of things.  The first is bug bites.  Put some fly spray on her then wait and see.  They will probably disappear.  The second thing they could be is hives.  Hives usually come from allergies.  You may have to give her an antihistamine, change her feed/hay, or move her to a different barn/stall.  Hives can also come from certain bug bites.  Check her for ticks.  They could also be from if she rolled in a bush or something and got prickled, or if she got kicked, resulting in swelling.  Finally, it could be something inside her, like a fatty mass or tumor.  This is less likely and you'll have to consult your vet.

Ask your trainer or another experienced horseman what you should do.  Be careful about treating her yourself, because you wouldn't want to do the wrong thing.  If you're ever in doubt, call the vet.

Answer 2

My horse is allergic to any commercial fly or coat sprays. I have to mix my own fly spray with vinegar, water, and a drop or two of the regular stuff so he doesn't sweat it off as easily. If i use fly spray on my horse and he sweats he breaks out in hives just like you said. I had to get my vet out to give him a steroid shot so the swelling would go down, but it could just be a bug bite, a tick, or a stick. Put icthamol on it to try and draw out anything that might be embedded, use a cold hose, and if the swelling doesn't go down contact your vet. Good luck.

Answer 3

Sounds like it might be sweet itch caused by insect bites. You might try treating it with a sweet itch lotion before it becomes weepy and maybe gets infected.

Answer 4

they could be bug or misquito bites

they should go away in like two days

spray the horse with fly spray and cover the horse with a fly sheet to keep them away

Answer 5

fly bites  it seems like my horses only get fly bites right before a show lol

Answer 6

It could also be some kind of hives, possibly an allergic reaction? Although it's odd that they're different sizes, so it could be bug bites. Has anything changed in his/her diet? Or pasture setting? Anything she could be allergic to?

Answer 7

They are probably bug bites. They could also be hives.  If the horse is allergic to the certain spray you are using they will get them.  Although some on horses they just appear.  To treat them you can bathe the horse in baking soda and if they don't get any better ask your vet.

Hope that helped some!

Answer 8

It's an allergic reaction to either insect bites or something in your horse's feed.  It's actually a form of hives.

Answer 9

they are probably bug bites.... try fly spray and if that doesnt work then try giving your horse 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinager in his grain, he will sweat it out through his skin. its been working with all of my horses. if that doesnt work try a fly sheet or the vet

Answer 10

It could just be fly bites or could be sweet itch.

I have a gelding who gets sweet itch during the summer and it sounds like what you've got going on... basically its a reaction to no-see-ums, a tiny bug.

It can start off as small or larger bumps and can eventuate to infection, extreme itching sometimes to the point of rubbing themselves raw, loss of hair and over-all uncomfortableness.

It is manageable with tons of fly control.... Fly spray, fly masks and sheets, etc. You can also use a lotion or something similar like M-T-G to help relieve itching and promote new hair growth as well as treating the other symptoms.

Answer 11

they could be bug bites,try spray and if it doesn't improve or anything maybe see a vet....

Answer 12

My horse gets these too - they are most likely bug bites.  Use fly spray every day and also inspect the bump to make sure it is not a deer tick embedded in there.

Answer 13

welts can mean either Bug bites, your horse might have been kicked in the neck by another horse if you have another horse, and it could be sweeling which is not serious. Or if you have given your horse a shot recently in the same spot the welt is then maybe it is an infection, and that is not very good. If you gave her a shot then i would suggest calling the vet. But if you didnt, then i would suggest mussle relaxation spray. It helps horses that have mussle spasms. It worked for my pony. She was kicked in the neck and as soon as we put mussle relaxation on it then it got smaller everday. But you have to remember to put it on daily. If you cant find it in stores then you should call the vet and by some from him or he might just treat it himself. If it is bugbites, then use flyspray, A LOT.