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Identifying Strange Marks On Your Horse
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White Patches:
White patches can indicate scarred areas where there was an injury such as a cut. If they are under the saddle area, they can indicate where there has been pressure from a poorly fitting saddle. Over the withers, white patches or random white hairs can show where a rug or blanket has pulled down over time, or a saddle pad or saddle with a low pommel have been putting pressure.
White Dots
Called birdcatcher spots, these small patches of white hair appear and disappear spontaneously for no apparent reason.
Dents
Dents in a muscle show where the horse has been kicked or hit. They are sometimes called devil’s or prophet’s thumbprint. My horse has one that I can fit my thumb into. They are fairly common and do not cause the horse any pain or problems once the injury that causes the hollow has healed. These little divots can also be caused by muscular injections and very rarely are they a symptom of a more serious neurological condition that involves the dying of the neurons in a concentrated area.
Bubbles
Opposite to dents are swellings and bubbles under your horse’s skin. There are a few reasons bubbles can form. Some are called protein bumps and are filled with the protein collagen in response to an allergic reaction. Bumps can also form under the skin due to air getting into an injury. Sometimes there is a slight bubble over the top of a dent in the muscle, and it’s possible to push your finger into the dent. It’s best to get bubbles checked out when they first appear.
Bare Areas
If an area on a horse’s body is rubbed, has been abraded, or if the horse has a skin condition, bare patches will appear and they are normally quick to heal. Horses can get alopecia, and the hair simply falls out for no clear reason (it’s often associated with stress in humans). Manure and urine scalding can cause a horse to have bald patches. And selenium deficiency can also cause hair loss. Most often, a horse’s hair will grow back, but constant pressure or other factors can cause permanent hair loss.
Black Patches
A black patch within white markings on the face or legs is called an ermine. A horse may be any color and have an ermine.
Sooty Spots
Darkened areas or sooty black spots are mainly seen on chestnut horses but they can appear on horses of any color. They can be little specks or quite large areas with uneven edges. These are called Bend-Or spots (the name of a Thoroughbred stallion who had them) or Ben d'Or, Smuts, or Grease Spots.
Dapples
Rings of hair slightly darker than the horse’s normal coat color is called dappling. They are most obvious on gray horses although they may appear, albeit faintly on a horse of almost any color. Dapples are thought to be an indication of good health, although they sometimes come and go with the season, or as the horse ages. Whether a horse has dapples or not may be genetic. |
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