Bucked off in my lesson, horse has sore back, feel terrible, what to do??

sleepykitten

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
641
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
Hi all,

So I had my first riding lesson in years today on my old girl, got her all tacked up, fine, went to get on, fine, then walked her across the field to the arena I had marked out, and she just exploded and bronced until I came off.

I was fine, caught her and got back on, but she was really tense the whole time. Much worse on the right rein too, but after walking her for a bit, she started to accept the contact and bend, and we even did some excellent turn on the forehand on the left rein, but couldn't get it on the right rein.

Then asked for trot and she stood on one of the markers and exploded again and tanked off, this time, I managed to stay on though. So we called it a day then, but my RI started to do a bit of inhand work with my mare, and mare's heart rate went up really high.

so, got her back to untack, and RI put her hand on my mare's back and poor mare went nuts. She is really sore and I can't believe I didn't spot it sooner. She is always a bit cold-backed, but never anything like this. I feel so guilty for not spotting it.

RI said my mare must really like me to have only bucked me off the once! :eek::eek:

I have now booked a physio to come out next week, but does anyone have any suggestions for anything I can do in the meantime to help her feel more comfortable?

Please help, I feel terrible :(
 

Princess Jess

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2012
Messages
1,110
Location
Northampton
Visit site
Oh dear... :(
Best thing to do is to get the physio out as soon as, which you've already done so not much else I can suggest really.
Try not to feel too bad, everyone makes mistakes and hopefully your girl will be back to her old self soon.
Sending you both lots of hugs!
 

CathySirett

Member
Joined
3 December 2010
Messages
29
Location
Milton Keynes
Visit site
ah that's a horrible place to be -- knowing your horse is hurting and you didn't notice it -- I had a horse bunch up ready to buck under me but managed to get on -- I had totally missed her discomfort with the saddle when I put it on and hadn't checked her back first

That incident convinced me to go learn a bit more and so I did an equine touch level 1 course -- that includes some moves along the back that I can use to see how my horse's back muscles are before saddling which I not try to remember to do -- it also has moves you can use after riding to undo any pressure that might have been there - -and I do those every time I take the saddle off --
I know this is no help now, but might be useful in the future? it helps me feel I am not going to be in this situation again which is nice to know

hope the physio can help -- x x x

Cathy
 

Max123

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 April 2011
Messages
238
Visit site
You can apply a heat pad to it. I've used the heat in a click type for neck and shoulders (for humans) on my horses back and it sits on nicely. You can buy them on e-bay. Gently rub her back area in circular motions but don't apply pressure. She will appreciate the touch.
While she is out of action get your saddle looked at.It may need re-flocking or it may not fit her anymore.
 

flowerlady

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2008
Messages
5,496
Location
May be somewhere near
Visit site
So I had my first riding lesson in years today on my old girl,

Had your horse been ridden in these years you haven't? or was someone else riding her? If so I'd ask to see if they know of any reason a slip or fall I'd ring the vet as already suggested before the physio.

Hope it gets cleared up soon. The large bay in siggi went broncing when I had him when his feet touched grass at 17.1 he frighted the s*** out of me. Anyway turned out the tree had s slight hairline crack that pinched when I asked for canter and I had only just bought the horse and had no idea as I bought the saddle with him. New saddle sorted that out before it became a habit. :)
 

sleepykitten

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
641
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
Thanks for the help guys, I feel so awful, she is so sore that when I went to check her tonight she even bucked under the pressure from my hand and I couldn't even touch the other side. I have no heat pads but was thinking about a hot water bottle?

I have also given her a sachet of bute.

Can't believe I didn't see it......

*walks away shaking head and feeling thoroughly crap*
 

sleepykitten

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
641
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
Had your horse been ridden in these years you haven't? or was someone else riding her? If so I'd ask to see if they know of any reason a slip or fall I'd ring the vet as already suggested before the physio.

Hope it gets cleared up soon. The large bay in siggi went broncing when I had him when his feet touched grass at 17.1 he frighted the s*** out of me. Anyway turned out the tree had s slight hairline crack that pinched when I asked for canter and I had only just bought the horse and had no idea as I bought the saddle with him. New saddle sorted that out before it became a habit. :)

Hi flowerlady,

My horse has been off for two years with a suspensory ligament injury until last November when on the go ahead from the vet, I got the ok to bring her back into work. Since then, I have mainly been hacking on the roads to strengthen her tendons/ligaments.

She has been ridden about twice a week since then, she has always been a bit cold-backed since i got her, but today was totally different, normally she walks it off in a few mins but not today :(:(

Saddle was made for her so pretty sure its not that, but she does get sore ovaries when in season, but I'm 99% sure shes not in season just now.
 

Littlelegs

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 February 2012
Messages
9,355
Visit site
If light pressure from your hand is painful, hot water bottle might be uncomfy weight wise. If you have one of those gel things they make for people that are hot/cold that would do. Or put a small towel in hot water & put that on folded up for a bit. Just make sure you press it on yourself first to check its not too hot.
 

floradora09

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 April 2009
Messages
1,327
Location
Oxfordshire
Visit site
I have no heat pads but was thinking about a hot water bottle?

We've used a hot water bottle successfully (suggested by back lady) on an old pony that had really hurt his back muscles- a combination of poorly fitting saddle and getting horrendously twisted up in a fly rug (so beware- I'm never using one again!!), the whole thing was ripped to shreds all along the binding etc, to see it you'd have thought it had gone through a mincer. It's hard not to feel bad but you're doing the best thing for her now :) fwiw this pony had started acting out of sorts a bit with the girl who rode him, and it wasn't until I offered to have a sit that he reared right up (never done so before in his life) and nearly toppled over backwards that it was investigated.

Also, my boy's got a bit of a niggle atm, had back lady out and he was quite tight in back muscles, has been 100 times better until today when I took him for a spin and he felt a little tight, and if you poke about a bit he'll tense. But now I'm paranoid and don't know what's normal and what's new :rolleyes:

:)
 

flowerlady

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2008
Messages
5,496
Location
May be somewhere near
Visit site
Hi flowerlady,

My horse has been off for two years with a suspensory ligament injury until last November when on the go ahead from the vet, I got the ok to bring her back into work. Since then, I have mainly been hacking on the roads to strengthen her tendons/ligaments.

She has been ridden about twice a week since then, she has always been a bit cold-backed since i got her, but today was totally different, normally she walks it off in a few mins but not today :(:(

Saddle was made for her so pretty sure its not that, but she does get sore ovaries when in season, but I'm 99% sure shes not in season just now.

Sorry wasn't suggesting it might be your saddle just wondered if anyone had ridden her over the last few years since you said you hadn't ridden her. Didn't know her past. Hope your able to sort it. How old is she?
 

Gleeful Imp

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 September 2004
Messages
1,081
Location
Preston
Visit site
Alternating hot and cold therapy can help a lot. must admit if her back is too sore to cope with the weight of a hot water bottle on it I'm with Mrs M and would go for the vet first.

It's not just a case of helping her though, it's also about finding out what's caused it.

She could have done something in the field, but horses do change shape when coming back into work, so worth getting saddle checked even if just to rule it out.

How does she move? Have you tried loose schooling her to see if you can spot any unusual stiffness? Is she moving through her hocks as normal, dragging a toe? Is she walking out on a hack as well as before? All helps point to where the problem may be.

Can you tell I've just been through something similar?:rolleyes: I also beat myself up for not spotting it earlier, and with hindsight there were some signs I'd just missed, hence my questions!
 

Cheiro1

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 October 2008
Messages
3,025
Visit site
I would third getting a vet before the physio if she's that sore, first thing tomorrow morning!!

Hope shes ok.
 

sleepykitten

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
641
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
I work at a vets so don't worry, that will be my first call in the morning. When hacking, she has felt fine, but I'm a very lazy rider and tend to have one hand on the reins watching the world go by so not exactly asking her to bend or anything so could possibly be a result of her earlier lameness. As I say, she is always sensitive in season, but pretty sure she isn't just now.
 

Broccoli

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
70
Visit site
Would also agree with vet first then physio. Don't feel too guilty you're doing the right thing for your mare. I hope you get it sorted.
 

sleepykitten

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
641
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
Hey Cheerio,

Thanks for asking, I spoke to one of our vets yesterday and she said to use some anti-inflammatory gel on her so I used some last night, she didn't want me to touch her though, but got some on after some gentle persuasion. The vet said not to do too much in case it masks the problem for the physio, but has recommended x-rays and a scan if physio doesn't work.

There seems to be a swelling on her right side starting at the top of her back behind the saddle and moving down over the top of her rib at the back, I'm beginning to wonder if she's rolled on a sharp stone or something. :(

Physio coming tomorrow night after I finish work so hopefully will know more then.
 

Parker79

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2011
Messages
1,169
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Good luck with Duchess tomo, very handy working at the vets! I remember Zara put her back into spasm once...I got on and she nearly fell over! I felt AWFUL! she had a couple of physio sessions and was fine...they decided she had possibly fallen in the field.

Let us know how she gets on x
 

sbloom

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
10,321
Location
Suffolk
www.stephaniebloomsaddlefitter.co.uk
On the saddle aspect - even M2M saddles don't always fit, even from the very beginning, always worth having saddles checked, and horses change shape. Best to monitor saddle fit closely and call the fitter when anything changes, else have your saddle checked every 6-12 months.

And you can't have a saddle properly checked while your horse is out of work. A fitter can check the quality of the flock, and replace that if necessary but they cannot fit the saddle to the horse - the back should be sorted first, time off given if necessary, then the saddle fitted as the horse comes back into work - a quick check in walk and a little bit of trot if you can, then rechecked once you are cantering a little, so the saddle can be seen in w-t-c. Obviously this is an ideal, but the saddle must be ridden in to be fitted properly, and a saddle should not be fitted to a horse with a sore back.
 

forestfantasy

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 September 2011
Messages
999
Location
Chesterfield
Visit site
You say she's always been a little cold backed since you had her?
To me this says underlying back or saddle issues - i don't believe in 'cold backed' horses, to me it says there are underlying issues unless the horse has had a bad experience from mounting etc in the past.

Hope you get it sorted :)
 

sleepykitten

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
641
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
You say she's always been a little cold backed since you had her?
To me this says underlying back or saddle issues - i don't believe in 'cold backed' horses, to me it says there are underlying issues unless the horse has had a bad experience from mounting etc in the past.

Hope you get it sorted :)

Hi Forsetfantasy,

Her cold-backed behaviour has been put down to her seasons by the vet as it coincides exactly with her being in season. I had a marble fitted to her and this solved the problem until it came it out for the winter. I haven't had it fitted again yet as she was only in light work, and was thinking about having it done again, but this bucking behaviour is definitely back related rather than sore ovaries as you can see her back physically spasm when you touch her.

Physio coming at 6.30pm tonight so will hopefully get an idea of what the problem is.
 
Top