Bumps Blisters
I have just started riding my horse
again this spring after the winter off.
My horse seems to have developed
some strange bumps and fluid-filled
blisters. What causes this and how
can I deal with this issue?
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Fluid filled bumps along the spine.
Continued...
Saddle Fit
Q
To properly answer why and how these blisters
develop, we must go into a little scientific/medical
detail to explain the process. Often, it is a
poorly fitting saddle that causes a problem
known as ‘ischemia’ – which is nothing more
than a local deficiency of blood supply produced
by vasoconstriction or local obstacles to the
arterial flow – i.e., a pinching or pressure point
under saddle. The correction of this (through
proper fitting and elimination of this pinching
or pressure) causes a phenomenon called
“reperfusion” – which is the re-establishment of
fluid being allowed to pass through the lymphatic
system or blood vessels to an organ or a tissue.
When this pinching or pressure occurs to the point of
ischemia, acidic metabolites accumulate. (Examples of
metabolites include glucose in the metabolism of sugars
and starches or amino acids in the biosynthesis of proteins).
In its extreme case, the acidic cell becomes atrophic and
gradually loses its function. This is reversible – initially. If it is
present too long, it can lead to complete degeneration
of the cell. It will have no more function, which cannot be
remedied.
When the irritant is removed in time, the acidic metabolites
can be flushed out into the bloodstream, which in turn activates
the white blood cells. They become ‘sticky’ and get
stuck at the vascular walls, finally moving into the surrounding
connective tissues. This triggers inflammatory reactions,
setting substances like histamines free which can damage
the inside cell layers – allowing fluid to pass inside and resulting
in a visible swelling or bulge (‘edema’ or blister).
I often come across this issue when I am fitting saddles. I
have included a couple of pictures of various horses that
I have worked with – all of whom developed these funny
looking bumps or blisters after I fitted their saddles! That was
always really strange to me, until I actually researched the
phenomenon and spoke to several veterinarians about the
causes and reasons behind these irregularities.
Fluid bumps can develop when the horse is ridden hollow
and the transverse processes of the spine touch each other
or rub (as in kissing spine), or the withers are not in align-
TRAINING & Showing
and
and
Answer:
ment with the spine. Fluid bumps can also come when the
ligaments have been injured previously from saddles with
gullets that were too narrow.
A saddle that sits on the shoulder and on the ligaments
of the spine (instead of behind the shoulder and on the
muscles of the saddle support area), will carry most of the
rider’s weight on the cartilage of the shoulder and on these
spinal ligaments. The fluid does not develop if you press on
the injured ligaments or on the spinal transverse processes,
since the horse is being impeded from its full range of motion
by the placement and pinching of the saddle. Therefore,
the false assumption may develop that it is better to
have the saddle sitting on the spine and shoulders as then
there are no bumps and the horse does not show discomfort.
This is only temporary respite, as deformity has not set
in yet. All the while the muscles are get tenses and the
wrong muscles are getting trained (resulting in what we call
“upside down” training).
When the saddle is then fitted properly, the horse immediately
improves because there is no more pressure or
pain. The blood supply to the atrophic muscle increases,
but there is often the result of a visible swelling due to the
inflammatory reaction described above. This may actually
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