Should I be worried

Why? I was still in the middle of my dance of joy over being an auntie (new horse to love on the horizon) and now I am in the stillness of, "Uh oh... what's that?"

Yesterday I was giving Max a scritch in his armpits because that's one of his favourite scritchy spots. Found a little something in the folds at the top of his left foreleg.

Thought it was caked mud. Wasn't.

Thought it was a scab. Wasn't.

Little lump, smooth, Max not bothered by me poking at it, but we were in the indoor school when I discovered it and the light was not good so I couldn't get a good look.

Tied him up outside in the sunlight (by the way, that's what it's called right? When the big yellow disc appears in the sky and makes things feel a bit warm? I think I remember that's called sunlight).

Bless him, I crouched down to have a look, and Max, seeing what I was doing, assumed the position (bow for a carrot stretch) and that caused a bit of confusion.

"No Max, just stand up, please, sir."

"Oi! Where's my carrot! Shall I stamp? I think I will."

Eventually got fellow yard bird over to have a look and feel as I held his leg up while she had a rummage.

She at least confirmed I'm not insane, there is something there, and it feels like it's under the skin. Grey little lump. She didn't know what it was though.

Sarcoid? Could it be?

And even if it is a teensy sarcoid, which it might not be, that's no reason for me to freak out, is it?

He's all grey wrinkly skin at the top of his forelegs anyway, so the fact that this lump appears to be grey is not conclusive and it's really small.

There was a suggestion that it might be a tick bite. Possible, though funny place for a tick bite.

Horsey friend to the rescue! A friend popped by at the yard to have a look and feel and tell me whether I should be worried.

Verdict is watch and wait for now.

Thought it was one little lump when I first felt yesterday, but it's actually a cluster of three or so.

We decided they don't feel like ticks. Could be any number of things really, very small and in an area that won't bother him particularly, no chance of his girth rubbing there to irritate.

I'm instructed to have a feel every few days or so and make sure they're not getting bigger or spreading. But if they do either, vet.

Might resolve on their own, who knows?

He sure doesn't mind them being prodded, though, and he let my friend use his leg to hoik herself back to standing with no complaint.

She complimented me on his manners, actually. Stepped back from his door politely when she entered, and after a few moments of being curious of new person "Oi! Who you? Let me get to the measure of you", we was perfectly well behaved while she hung all over him.

Should I be worried? Probably not. Alert is what I will be instead.

He's a gent, my Max (except when he isn't [image] )