Q: Help! My Horse Has a Lump on His Leg!

Posted by Laura Thompson Apr 12, 2009

We humans are so concerned about the possibility of cancer and other health problems that the sudden appearance of a lump on our horse seems disastrous. I received an e-mail from a concerned reader whose horse had developed a quarter-sized lump on the inside of his hocks.

As always, it is best to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian if you are worried about any aspect of your horse's health. Lumps, lesions, scrapes, scars, bruises and lacerations can be indicative of a larger problem, and only a veterinarian can adequately diagnose it.

That said, a soft lump on the inside of a horse's hock is most likely a bog spavin, which is a build-up of spinovial fluid. It probably won't be sensitive to the touch, but it could indicate trauma to or infection of the hock joint.

In many cases, a bog spavin is not an emergency and will go away on its own with hydrotherapy and rest. However, it can be drained by your veterinarian if he or she believes it is serious, and it might be necessary to take X-rays and other tests to determine if there is an underlying pathology.

If you find a hard lump on your horse or if the lump is located elsewhere, it could mean inflammation of a joint, swelling from blunt force trauma or any number of other conditions. Again, it is best to call the vet immediately.

Have a horse question? Send it to Horses@Suite101.com and Laura Thompson will provide an answer, either in a private e-mail or in a blog post.