Late Fall Weather

I don't know where October went.  The month galloped past me as fast as Secretariat.  But I thought it important to mention a couple of  fall horse issues.  With these warm days and cool/cold nights please be on the lookout for colic. I wrote about this same issue on May1 - please refer to that blog for further advice on colic.  Another thing I often get called about are the "crusty, yellowish" bumps on many horses this time of the year.  They are commonly found on the chest, under or at the base of the mane and can certainly be elsewhere as well.  The crust is serum...a fluid found in our body that can leak out of the skin. I'm sorry to say that I don't have a good answer for what causes them.  The most information I can give you about these bumps are that they will go away and they aren't anything to worry about.  I have heard them called "protein bumps."  What is meant by protein bump I couldn't say.  Supposedly they come about when a horse has been eating dry, winter type feed and they get into some fresh grass such as around a building or other protected area.  Now logically this makes no sense to me - what is the difference if they eat alfalfa or another high protein feed?  Anyway you can work on removing them by hand, with a brush or bathing them - if it is warm enough.  Not a lot of information, but the biggest piece is that you don't need to worry about them.  Enjoy the FALL!  and hopefully you will get some rides under your belt before the snow flies.