When a horse develops a mysterious swelling, you or your vet will be able to recognise what a new lump or bump is just by having a careful look and a thorough feel of the affected area. If not then other diagnostic methods may be required.
A good knowledge of anatomy is helpful here. If you understand what should be present in any particular place, then you should be able to work out if it is that structure that has enlarged or something else that has invaded its space.
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"}
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Library image.
Credit: Lucy Merrell
Credit: Lucy Merrell
A leg wound showing proud flesh on a horse’s hind leg