# question about my mare



## Marsha Cassada (Feb 1, 2021)

I am not experienced with mares as I do not breed. Midnight is my driving horse and she is a gem. I had noticed last fall that there was a crusty thing that formed on her vulva. I was able to sponge it off and I put a little vaseline on the area and all was good. Then I noticed that inside the vulva (hope I have the anatomy correct!) that there were some little "things" that didn't seem right. When I took her for teeth work in November I asked the vet about care of mares; I thought he would look, but he didn't seem concerned so I let it go. Today I was sponging her off and inside the vulva there was something on the edge that didn't look right. She was tender about it. I sponged it off carefully and put some neosporin on it. Took pictures and sent them to the vet. It was late in the day; vet tech called me and asked me to resend the pictures and vet would get back to me tomorrow. (office staff had given me the wrong number to text photos--what a shock whoever got those first photos must have felt!) We live where cell phone service is poor. I jumped in the pickup and raced up the road to a spot with adequate cell phone coverage and resent the photo. Hopefully, they received the picture.
I am wondering if anyone has had something like this on their mare. It doesn't look good to me, but I know little about mare problems.


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## Willow Flats (Feb 2, 2021)

I've not seen anything like that. Looks very raw so I bet it is sore! Let us know what the vet says.


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## Taz (Feb 2, 2021)

Crusty yellow bits are normal(for mine anyway). Maybe she's been rubbing a bit? My big mare does that and gets sore spots. Hope it's nothing, let us know what the vet says?


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## Abby P (Feb 2, 2021)

Yeah, rubbing would be my guess too, especially since it looks like a sort of horizontal scrape. Have you noticed any broken hairs on her tail, or does she seem itchy on her tail or anywhere back there? She might have been trying to scratch an itch (I know my guy is really itchy right now because he's starting to shed out) and just have caught her vulva on whatever she was scratching against.


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## Marsha Cassada (Feb 2, 2021)

Vet called back. He told me to continue the neosporin and keep an eye on it. My concern is because it seems to be a chronic thing that just developed into this. Because of feces and urine, it seems to be in a bad spot for infection. I may get another opinion. 
I don't see her rubbing, but that isn't to say she hasn't been. Her tail seems normal, no rubbed places, and no rubbed areas on her behind. Aren't our animals a worry sometimes?


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## Maryann at MiniV (Feb 2, 2021)

You might want to get the type of neosporin that helps with pain too, so she won't be temped to rub.


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## Marsha Cassada (Feb 2, 2021)

She was better tonight. I feel better.


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## chandab (Feb 15, 2021)

Do you clean her udder periodically? They get crusties quite similar to gelding sheath smegma between the halves of their udder and it can be itchy. I just use baby wipes to clean the area (they are convenient), but a warm wet wash cloth is just as effective (and won't leave any residue). [They can't itch their udder, so they rub their butt/tail on stuff.]


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## Marsha Cassada (Feb 15, 2021)

chandab said:


> Do you clean her udder periodically? They get crusties quite similar to gelding sheath smegma between the halves of their udder and it can be itchy. I just use baby wipes to clean the area (they are convenient), but a warm wet wash cloth is just as effective (and won't leave any residue). [They can't itch their udder, so they rub their butt/tail on stuff.]


Yes, I clean her every month or so, when I clean off Dapper Dan. Indeed, she always has a buildup and enjoys being clean, I think.
I do plan to get her to a vet as soon as this crazy weather abates.


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