14/03/2025
Very interesting read ๐โค๏ธ
I did this post before and want to add in extras
Its only grass glands
Were you brought up to believe that the swelling of the parotid (grass) gland is normal, its why it adopted the name of grass glands because years ago we would only come across this as we turned our horses out full time in the springtime if I had a penny for every time I heard oh its only grass glands I would not be writing this post I would be sat on a beach and be mega rich lol
And again, we often hear the word metabolic and go straight to Cushing's or some other extreme but metabolic simply refers to metabolism and how the body utilizes the content we put into the energy it gives us and how the intake of nutrition may affect us. Basically, is the horse taking in a substance which may help or hinder it
So if we start omitting the word grass and replace it with the correct word parotid and add itis we may get an inkling as to why a gland is swollen, I mean we all know why ours swell it usually means we have eaten something which we may not have an allergy to but we may be a little intolerant to and remember it's not just what is eaten, environment can have a huge effect on how our bodies are coping
Glands swell for a reason and it's usually the bodies response to something which it is trying to combat, it often can coincide with shedding season and we know that is a hormonal response so is there a link there somewhere? Remember just because it's common does not means it's normal
And at least as humans we only have to cope with environment or food, horses sometimes have to cope with the riders' hands placing the horse in such a position that the swelling will occur because of how they have to hold their heads the saliva glands are innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve nine) which is a mixed nerve so aids with swallowing and tongue movement (again rider influence can have a major affect so freedom of the mouth is so important we often only focus on a relaxed jaw but we need a jaw to be able to move) so we must strive to give as much chewing time for horses that we can and often when anyone hears the word metabolic the horse is placed in an area where less chewing time can occur and less chewing time can change the saliva composition to could lead to more dental issues
Saliva production is an autonomic response to chewing the longer a horse chews the more saliva will be produced
We often not only see horses with swelling in their jawline but also underneath the jaw and the nasal area and you can see by the picture that there are more than one salivary gland and if one is affected then all are affected, I have also included cutaneous areas as these areas go hand in hand and can become over sensitive (most people will be either familiar with the horse being irritated and twitchy either at the girth area, or the horse shaking its head when you touch the base of the shoulder) so this tells you itโs a more global problem rather than a singular gland
So, if we visually see it, we must also look at how internally is the horse being affected (omitting the rider part for now) if your horse is also super sensitive with the fly twitch muscle (cutaneous) if your horse is bloated, if your horse is lethargic, if your horse is showing out of the norm behavioural signs then often I try to explain it to owners like having a food intolerance we may be able to keep eating it but we are going to not just have swollen glands we are going to feel pretty crap also but if your horse just has a swollen parotid gland with no other issues then you may have to look at your hands, your bit or the riding style and we can't forget environment you could be the best rider, feed the best quality feed and fibre but look at the surrounding fields as the content of them could be the culprit in your horses intolerance's and allergies
So no its not just a grass gland swelling there as always is much more than just one part
Does stress play a factor, if your horse is uncomfortable then is their nervous system under fire we all know how stress can have an adverse affect on the body as it tries to regulate itself and combat the internal struggle
Whatever the factor swollen glands are in the most basic terms uncomfortable, sensitive and will restrict movement and remember just because something is common does not mean it is normal
