Back pain

B1u3

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6 March 2025
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My unbroken 5-year-old showed signs of pain when touched near the back/belly (tight lip/nose, turning head). If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't even notice anything was wrong. I thought it was ulcers, but when the vet came out to do his injections, he checked him and said he had some back pain. However, he said it wasn't anything serious or to worry about and just leave him for now, and ring if it got worse.

I'm not sure what to do with him now, do I just leave him and see how he goes or get a physio out? I overthink when it comes to his health and worry it's kissing spines or something 😭, and I hate the thought that he's in pain.
 
Did the vet really not say anything else, why he thought the horse had back pain if it wasn't anything serious? I mean I'd probably not change vet just for that, but it's utterly unhelpful. Any pain symptom, which this is, should not be dismissed so easily. It's highly likely an early sign of something, and there are likely other clues, but they may not be the type of thing the vet is looking for, for instance the vet may dismiss ulcers as a possibility with a healthy looking, or even overweight, horse, but it's absolutely still possible and that view is outdated. There may also be indications of postural changes going with the back pain, again they're not trained to look for these on the whole.

I would ask for more clarification and would probably consult a physio or other bodyworker at least.

Is the reaction mostly on one side (in which case, which side?) or on both? Any reaction to palpation either side of the spine?
 
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