this is odd..

okay, so my moms two yearling mares were just recently moved into my barn.
they are now turned out 24/7 in our large 4 acre field.
They are just out being horses, since they have been show horses since they were weaned.
I approached my smallest mare today, and noticed that under her left side of her chest, where her leg meets her body, was a large swollen lump.

investigating it more, it was not hot, did not hurt her, and was not filled with liquid.
there was a small scratch on it.
its not snakes, and its not a bug sting,
but im wondering, if any one has any ideas?

i did notice her picking up her hind leg, swiping it at flys, do you think she is hitting herself?

im confused!!

It sounds like a hematoma...Someone may have kicked her.

I'd check out the scratch really careful....The lump and the surrounding area too. It could be caused by a sliver. When my colt's mom was about 3yrs old, she got to running around the pasture and jammed a piece of sagebrush under her skin near her hock. Just by luck, it didn't go into the muscle, but slid up under the skin, about 7 inches.

Maybe I'm obsessive....But PF also shows up like that.

Well, it sounds like bug bites.. I have horses who are thinned skinned and the bugs can really get at them.. If these horses have been in and not around all those flying things out there that can bite you it is likely a biting fly..

Also, how big is it? I have seen hematomas from getting kicked too. They usually look like a sloppy bump.. Kinda jiggly..

I would make sure I get some good bug spray on them and fly masks. If these yearlings have been in the barn and show horses the eliments can be hard on them..

Show horses are premadonna's. Make sure you get the West Nile updated. Keep us posted..

Im with Ragdoll on this are you sure there isn't any way that she got a sliver in there? Sounds like what I have seen in those cases with our nasty thorn trees around here...

we do have briars...

it seems to have gone down a bit today. im going to pull her into the barn and hose it, and see if there is anything stuck in it..