Brown Nasal Discharge

[marchhare2006]

Hi,

I'm a bit worried as I rode my share horse for the first time since I took her on yesterday and after I'd ridden her in the school for about an hour, when I got off her, I realised she had quite a profuse brown discharge coming from both nostrils. It looked like it might be old blood but it was hard to tell as it was completely brown (no red in it). I rode her again today but very gently and there was no discharge this time. Do you think this could be something serious? We weren't doing anything particularly strenuous in the school - some trotting, a bit of cantering (but not much) and a tiny jump, although we did jump that a fair few times. Should I be worried?

[alwaysfallingof]

I would definitely mention it to the owner, so they can decide whether she wants to follow it up or wait and see if it happens again.
If there was a lot of it and it was from both nostrils, I personally would get a vet to investigate - it doesn't sound like a normal nosebleed and wouldn't just happen for no reason.
The only time that I've ever seen old blood coming down the nose was after Max came home after a sinus op, so I doubt that's the problem!

[Alfies-slave]

This is going to sound gross! The same thing happens to my groom and some of our horses.

It is dust from the indoor school, hay and straw. The indoor school gets dusty when it drys out. The horses spend a lot of time with their noses in contact with hay & straw & they sniff up the dust. When the horse is exercised the tubes are cleaned out so all the dust that has been trapped in the mucus is expelled.

[marchhare2006]

Thanks for these replies. It's reassuring that you think it might just be dust, Alfies-Slave. She hadn't been ridden for a couple of weeks and has recently been brought in after being out at grass so I suppose it could have been a build up of dust that was dislodged when she was ridden for the first time in a while. I will definitely mention it to the owner and see what she thinks, though.

[Jessey]

Our indoor school is also dusty, our get it too. Its not that the dust is being expelled with ours, more that as they work they get a damp nose breathing hard and the airbourne dust just sticks to it.
I would mention it, but if you were riding in a dusty school there is a good chance thats the cause.

J x