Horse Hives?

How exactly can you tell if your horse has hives? I've got a paint mare who has scratched her belly with bumps on the skin (she has itched it raw), and she's got bumps all up and down the right side of her neck. I've never experienced hives before on animals. She's had them for 3 days now (Don't be rude please) and I'm thinking that it's from us moving her to a bigger pasture and that maybe there's a plant or something in there that is causing it.

I had a horse who had hives. It looked like a whole bunch of lumps/bumps all over. They were pretty big, almost like what a horsefly would leave. We had the vet out and they put him on an antihistamine which we mixed with his food. The only thing we could figure what was causing his hives was he was allergic to mosquitos, which, living in Minnesota, we have PLENTY of those! Spring, summer and fall we needed to give him this antihistamine.

Seeing how you just moved your horse to a new pasture, I would definitely go out there and make sure there aren't any poisonous plants that she may be eating. I would also give the vet a call and have them come out and check her out. If she needs the antihistamine, it is only available by prescription from your vet. Good luck!

Sounds like your horse is in a wet pasture with a whole lot of mosquito's! Has she got mane on the left? Probably-Anyway get some "wipe" and put it on her morning and night. Equine encephalitis better known now as West Nile virus, is caused by mosquito's and allot of other diseases. I'll bet there are few if any other horses in that pasture and she is a feast for those bugs!! Get her out of there and vaccinated!!