Blocked Sweat Glands

My cob has developed small lumps under his saddle area......I had a vet out to have a look and he said they were blocked sweat glands....if human would have been spots....he advised me to wash the area with antifungal shampoo...which I do...but they keep on returning........also had a saddler out to ckeck his saddle ..the saddle fits him fine........
 
I don't know if I'll be much help - I've no experience with blocked sweat glands in horses, but I have suffered from them myself!:)

In my case, I can't wear anti-perspirants. The doctor also told my dad (another sufferer) to wash several times a day.

Are you washing your fellow immediately after you untack him? I don't know if this would help (and you may already be doing this), but maybe the accumulated salts from the sweat trapped in the saddle area are what's blocking the glands?
 
Then they sound very much like the sort of lumps you get when the flocking in the saddle has started to get lumpy. When was it last *completely* reflocked? What happens is that you get little pressure points created by the flocking, and they stop the blood-flow here and there; when you remove the saddle the temporary rush of blood creates these little lumps, which settle down after a short time. But of course they come back as soon as you ride in the same saddle.

But of course I could be wrong :)
 
Saddle???

My horse had these when I bought her as a youngster - not sure about the diagnosis of sweat glands, I can't remember what the vet said, it was 14 years ago. I used a real sheepskin numnah which helped, but they disappeared completely, never to return, when I replaced the saddle she came with with a new one.

Maybe it could be an issue with the saddle? Could you get a second opinion?

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

SallyM
 
I have just changed my saddle and got a saddle fitter out...so not a problem with the saddle...today the little lump has disappeared ...he hasn't been ridden since Saturday...might be worth while trying a real sheepskin numnah...Thanks for your help
 
This particular problem isn't with the actual fit of the saddle, it's to do with the state of the flocking. And I have to say that when I asked one of our local Master Saddlers (who is also a Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Fitter) to check a saddle for me a couple of years back she didn't pick up on the fact that the saddle I'd asked her to check had a) a badly twisted tree and b) very lumpy old flocking. But you can check the flocking yourself quite easily - it should be as near as dammit completely smooth and it should have a nice amount of give (not rock hard) so that the back muscles can expand into it.
 
If it's not the flocking as Ros says, would it be possible to find a saddle pad, or some sort of cloth, with wicking action (if they don't already come that way!)?
 
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