Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Warts on muzzle

From: Miriam Help!!!!!!!!!!!

I am writing in to ask a question for my friend.

Her horse has warts on his muzzle. She noticed he has a few on his fetlock of his front left leg, but most of them are on his nose. he's had them for about a month. How did he get them? Are they something other horses will catch from him? Is there something she can do to get rid of them?

thanx in advance for any help you can give us! Miriam

Hi Miriam! Two possibilities come to mind here: one is that the horse is a two-year-old or a three-year-old, in which case the warts are probably entirely normal and will go away in a few more months. Tell your friend to talk to her vet: he'll probably be able to reassure her that the "cure" for a two-year-old with warts is very, very simple: just wait.

Warts on the fetlock are more unusual, so she'll want to have her vet take a look at those. She may want to check more closely and be sure that these ARE warts, particularly in the case of an older horse. Sometimes horses will develop crusted, scabby areas (that may look a little like warts) on their muzzles and lower legs if they have white markings there: this may be a photosensitive reaction to pasture plants such as alsike clover. It's something to discuss with the vet: these areas are actually little blisters. There's been a lot of this in some areas of the USA this year.

Jessica

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