What is it?
An obvious and sudden swelling that can be the size of a golf ball or even as big as a soccer ball.
It is a collection of fluid and most commonly, blood. The cause is often blunt trauma. The skin is commonly not broken.
Where are they found?
The chest, between the front legs is very common.
They can however occur anywhere on the body that could be kicked or contact the ground when your horse falls.
Why do they occur?
They are the result of a big bruise, bleeding, and tissue trauma. They are commonly subcutaneous (under the skin) but depth depends on the force of the trauma and location, so they can be very deep and underneath the muscle.
Do they need treatment?
They can commonly be left to self resolve if they are small. Resolution can take weeks, even months, but nearly all will resorb given sufficient time.
Large hameatomas often need draining: Please note this is commonly for cosmetic reasons. They would rarely be detrimental to your horse’s health.
Surgical treatment:
The fluid mass is punctured and drained at its lowest point. There is risk of infection at this stage so prevention of this is important.