I'm going to try this again: is this a wart?

[foundationmare]

My yearling filly has a growth on the outside of her right front ankle that looks like a little cauliflower. It's gray and dry looking. I understand that youngsters are prone to them.

Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, do they self-resolve or will this need to be removed at some point. It's not a problem per se, just unsightly and my beautiful princess certainly doesn't need a single blemish on her perfect self.

[sidepasser]

It might be easier to reply if you took a picture of the offending presence and posted it here for people to see.

[Thomas_1]

Could be a sarcoid. I'd suggest getting the vet to have a look at it next time he's out for say vaccinations so long as that's not an age away. Though I presume not in view of her age.

And get it appropriately treated and removed.

This is perhaps the best on line resource information re equine sarcoids and by Professor Knottenbelt who treat my horse when he had sarcoids. There's some photos of how they present which might help you too

http://www.sarcoids.co.uk/

[Pony Fixer]

While it is not uncommon to see warts on young stock, it's the face/mouth. I have never seen a true wart on a leg. As Thomas said, it could be a sarcoid. They can look like almost anything, and are caused by the bovine papilloma virus.

[foundationmare]

I'll get my youngest daughter out to take pics.

I'll keep you posted and thanks for the input.

[BravAddict]

A mare at my barn has a papilloma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilloma) (read: wart caused by equine papillomavirus) on the edge of her ear. It did not resolve on its own. My understanding is that if the growth gets large enough to be interfered with or damaged, any trauma caused to the area may encourage it.

When I was quite young - maybe 10 - I also rode a pony mare with very strange, cauliflower-like growths in her ears. She did not like them to be man-handled and to put the bridle on, the cheekpieces on one side had to be undone and flipped over her poll like a halter. I believe that type of growth was ear-specific.

EPV warts are somewhat contagious; the virus can be passed to other horses and may result in warts. I imagine that, just like in humans, the state of the horse's immune system plays a role in whether warts develop. Also keep in mind that if this horse has EPV, the virus stays with the horse for life, and new warts can develop after years of dormancy.