Back problems - what could it be? Spine issue or muscular?

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Fifty Bales of Hay

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I am having problems with a little horse I am riding at the moment, as he keeps getting a very sore back. He has been seen by the vet and twice now by the physio to treat the soreness. With rest he seems to come back better to his work, however if then ridden a couple of times after rest, nothing strenuous, his back (and the top of his shoulder on one side near the wither) is very sore.

He was on bute for 10 days to see if there would be improvement but it made no difference to him.

In ridden work he isn't anywhere near engaging unless really pressurised to do so - he will oblige to anything under pressure, but still resistant.

The vet wants to take another look at him and possibly do some back xrays - this sounds serious, could there possibly be some sort of problem with his spine or maybe this is just purely a muscular/soft tissue problem?

The horse is very undermuscled and is holding himself and tense - which is completely out of character for him,as he's such a laid back character normally, there's no reason other than pain why he should be tense or unhappy with his work. I have been told he is "lazy" but I really really doubt this is just laziness, although I could be wrong?

Anyone ever come across a horse with similar symptoms, and what was the outcome, or any ideas?
 
Hi AMP, i am a McTimoney and massage therapist and also have a horse that has suffered with back with back problems.

How old is the horse?
How long have you owned it?
What saddle is the horse ridden in? Was it professionally fitted and when was it last reflocked and checked? Do you feel secure in the saddle? Do you notice it move to the side the shoulder is sore? Is the saddle sitting back behind the shoulder and not impeding it? Is the saddle the right length for the back?
I would get an independent saddler to look at the saddle as soon as possible. Does the horse move better on the lunge without the weight of the rider and tack?

I would suggest having the xrays done and possibly the back scanned as well, your vet may just xray the areas they feel there is a problem. The vet/physio should have palpated between the dorsal spinous processes for any areas of soreness.

Are you happy with the physios work?

One of my own horses had reoccurring soft tissue soreness and some signs of discomfort between the dorsal spinous processes so I had her back xrayed and scanned, it’s definitely wise to rule out an underlying cause to these problems. Please feel free to PM me
Rachel
 
HI

I am going through a similar issue - see my post just 2 above yours.
Have you had usuall things done such as teeth, saddle and back all checked ?

If you are seeing an improvement with him on the lunge without ant weight then it is possible you are needing to work on building up the muscle more to carry the weight of the rider, steady work on hacks would be best - not putting too much pressure on him in the school etc circles etc.
Please double check hthe saddle fit?

Try again with physio (recommend a McTimmothy specialist) and get them to advise on exercises you can do on the ground and ridden.
You mention this comes about after a few days of being ridden - so I would assume this is tack realted or the work he is being asked.

I assume the vet has rulled out skelatal and confirmed its muscular?
Is there still evidence of swellings? If so he may need more time off, as pain may be away but swelling still there.

hope all works out

Tia
 
If the vet has confirmed that it is soft tissue rather than skeletal then you don't need a chiropractor, but physio or sports massage.

You need to check again with both the vet & physio to see what their opinions are, but I suspect as the other threads have mentioned, that with a weak or underdeveloped horse, the wither area where the lower fibres of the trapezius and mid section of the latissimus dorsi are heavily influenced by the rider's weight and balance through the saddle fit.

I think that spending some time lunging on very wide circles with a pessoa on a loose setting for 4 - 6 weeks will help both the development of muscle tone and in flexibility in the affected area. After that time hacking (so doing straight line work), with interval training involving initially a 1/2 hour walk, building up to a one hour walk interspersed with trotting for up to 5 minutes at a time over an 8 week period will build the muscle foundation you need.

But get the saddle checked first and then again after 8 weeks to ensure the correct fit to allow even weight distribution & freedom for the shoulder blades to fully retract.

Hope this helps.
 
Lots of replies thank you everyone. I'll try and answer as many questions as have been raised to see if it helps with any other suggestions or thoughts?

Yes the saddle has been checked twice in the last few months, and was fitted to him when he first arrived in April this year. It doesn't move forwards onto his shoulder,nor laterally and is the right length for him and me, I feel secure in the saddle.

Teeth were checked a month ago.

He is 10 years old - so in his prime years!

The physio has done a good job with him, and I've been happy with her work - although the effect of the relief he feels is only temporary seemingly.

There is no or little difference when lunged - still tight and holding, no better movement.

Rider issues - that's an interesting point spaniel - how would I be able to tell?

The vet hasn't confirmed either way whether its muscular or skeletal, I guess that's why they would like him into the clinic for xrays, so they can rightfully diagnose, or eliminate one or the other. The physio who's been out was interested enough to say "I'd like to be able to find out whether he's had problems before, or whether he's had any scans or xrays done, and if he has she'd like to see them" - so maybe she too was thinking it could be more than a muscular problem?

As far as I know the horse is 100% sound, the vet didn't find any lameness nor have I seen anything to suggest a lameness - a few strides here and there that aren't quite correct (behind) cross cantering, hopping into canter but that's not all the time.

My posting was generally to find out what other's had been diagnosed with, having similar problems, or what all of this is indicative of?

Any other help or personal thoughts appreciated, will keep you updated with our progress.
 
Hi there, just thought I would add a post as my horse had a kissing spine and this keeps being very topical on this forum, it is horrid when a horse is struggling and you can't tell why.

I am seriously not an expert, but am not convinced of skeletal issues in the back as I suspect you would be dealing with more than tension, I think you would be having difficulty in some respects with temperament, grumpiness and also issues with canter, especially looking like he is bunny hopping and having difficulty maintaining it, this would gradually get worse as the back deteriorated, hills, lack of balance are also a problem and there would be at least some intermittent lameness. Also he would find it easier on the lunge without the weight of a rider, I wouldn't however rule out an issue (maybe leg) that is causing the horse to hold himself incorrectly and then become sore which could be why the physio is able to provide tempory relief and why he isn't any better without rider.

There are a couple of points above that I would echo, the 1st is rider and that is not personal, everyone not matter how good needs regular lessons to ensure they maintain a good posture and I need more help than most! But it could easily be that you are collapsing on one hip or carrying your weight slightly unevenly and as the horse is not fit & well muscled it has more of an impact. I would also try a different saddlers opinion, however good, they aren't always right 100% of the time and if it is re-occurring withers etc it really does make me think saddle is pinching or moving and causing soreness.

I agree with the idea of the pessoa work or long lining to help the horse build muscle to support himself, that is how I rehab'd Ryan after his op and it helped him no end, he became really strong through his back, we just took it slowly but surely and had great results, maybe the horse needs to do some basic groundwork training to start him off again but to put my mind at rest I'd go with the x-rays, hopefully if the insurance will cover it you will then get a diagnosis which means the horse gets the help he needs. I was a terrible coward when we 1st thought there was something wrong and delayed finding the cause thinking he was just being a difficult youngster, now I so wish I had taken the bull by the horns and got him investigated straight away, it would have saved Ryan 2 years of pain and me 2 years of panic!

Best of luck, please let us know how you get on.
 
I have some updated news, and sadly it's not so good.

Its been confirmed by xray that he does have kissing spine, also there is an inflamed ligament in the same area, and lame on his left hind.

Injections have been adminstered to reduce the inflamation and I've been told this is effectively like a nerve block to the spine and will stop the pain. But it might not work, or will only be temporary, or could last for a few years.

I was hoping to see after this that the hind leg lameness would disappear, and he would move more freely, but there doesn't seem to be much difference, although I am aware of the hindleg lameness which I think is more evident now even on soft ground.

The vets have said he's not bad enough to consider an operation on his spine. And that he is suspecting another problem as yet undiagnosed in the hind legs which isn't connected to the kissing spine.

So I'm still not sure what the ACTUAL problem is and why he isn't "going forward" and gets miserable when I try to move him forwards, even on the lunge.
 
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