Hunter's bump
Hunter's bump is a prominence at the tuber sacrale (top of the croup / sacroiliac), often after jumping or SI strain. It can be one-sided or both. It is not kissing spine (back/spinous processes), not sweeney (shoulder atrophy), and not fistulous withers (withers bursa). A photograph cannot diagnose a hunter's bump. A still cannot tell a hunter's bump from kissing spine, a normal high croup, or sacroiliac change. A photo is not a diagnosis of sacroiliac disease. Diagnosis is a vet exam. The conformation scan is a first look at the croup outline to share with a vet, not a hunter's-bump test, and there is no hunter's-bump scanner.
Symptoms to watch for
A prominence at the tuber sacrale (top of the croup) — the outline is a clue, not a still-photo verdict
A bump that can be one-sided or both sides of the croup
A high point at the sacroiliac after jumping or SI strain — the history is a clue, not a diagnosis
A high croup, kissing spine, or sacroiliac change that can look like a hunter's bump — a still cannot tell them apart
A new or more obvious croup prominence after work — a reason to book a vet, not a photo verdict
Some horses show only a higher croup outline; the first sign is a new bump after jumping — that is a vet visit, not a photograph
Common causes
- A prominence at the tuber sacrale (top of the croup / sacroiliac), often after jumping or SI strain
- Can be one-sided or both — the outline is a clue, not a diagnosis
- Not kissing spine (back/spinous processes), not sweeney (shoulder atrophy), and not fistulous withers (withers bursa)
- A still cannot tell a hunter's bump from kissing spine, a normal high croup, or sacroiliac change — those need a vet. A photo is not a diagnosis of sacroiliac disease
Prevention
- Watch the top of the croup for a new or one-sided prominence and book a vet rather than waiting on a photo
- Do not jump through a painful or newly prominent croup hoping it will settle — that is a vet visit, not a photo
- Note whether the bump is one-sided or both, and whether it followed jumping or SI strain, so you can tell the vet
- Do not treat a photo, a high croup, or a scan result as a diagnosis
- Conformation photos can help you and the vet look at the croup outline — they do not confirm or rule out a hunter's bump, they cannot tell it from kissing spine, a normal high croup, or sacroiliac change, and they are not a diagnosis of sacroiliac disease
What to do
- 1
Book a vet visit if you find a new or one-sided prominence at the tuber sacrale (top of the croup). Diagnosis is a vet exam — not a photograph.
- 2
Do not jump or work through a painful or newly prominent croup, and do not start a home protocol from a photo. A still cannot tell a hunter's bump from kissing spine, a normal high croup, or sacroiliac change.
- 3
Photograph the croup in good light, from the side and from behind, and keep the photos on the horse's record so you and the vet can see change over time — a first look to share, not a diagnosis.
- 4
Use a conformation scan only as a first look at the croup outline to share, not as a hunter's-bump test. There is no hunter's-bump scanner.
- 5
If a hunter's bump is confirmed, follow the plan your vet prescribes. Do not start a treatment protocol from a photo.
- 6
Keep the vet on the same page. Share what you see; do not treat a photo as a verdict.
Pick up the phone if…
Schedule a vet visit if you find a new or one-sided prominence at the tuber sacrale (top of the croup), or if the outline changed after jumping or SI strain. Call sooner if the horse is sore over the sacroiliac, off in the hind end, or unwilling to jump — that is a vet call, not a photo diagnosis. A photograph cannot diagnose a hunter's bump. A still cannot tell a hunter's bump from kissing spine, a normal high croup, or sacroiliac change. Diagnosis is a vet exam. A photo is not a diagnosis of sacroiliac disease. The conformation scan is a first look at the croup outline, not a hunter's-bump test, and there is no hunter's-bump scanner.
Related topics
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Educational content only. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.