checking for a sore back

[Daphnelia]

Is it true that most horses will dip when you run your fingers firmly over the loins? Have just read this in a h&h online article when I was searching for methods of checking for back pain. My gelding is coming back into work after being turned away for lamesness in his hock. This presented itself in cold-back symptoms. He has been ridden once and was quite frightened to start with and through in a couple of small bunny hops, he soon settled and walked out happily. I want to make sure that his reactions are pyschological and not due to any existing pain. He only dips his back a little when I run my finger very firmly over the loins. I am not sure if I am pressing too hard either. Any advice much appreciated - I want to do the best I can for him

 

[kerilli]

if you run your finger down one side of his spine, not too hard, about 3-4" down but parallel to his spine, from near wither backwards, he should dip slightly on that side. ditto on the other side. then run your finger down at right angles to his spine, from the bottom of the wither down towards his tummy, not too hard again, and his shoulder should twitch, on both sides. my chiro told me these are how to tell if the horse's back is working okay, or locked and in need of treatment.
if you run fingers down the spine, slightly more firmly, he should either not really react or just dip a little bit. i've seen a horse actually sit down like a dog when someone did this to it.

hope that helps a bit.
are you sure your saddle fits him well? i worry a bit about cold-back symptoms.

 

[Persephone]

My mare was sold to me as cold backed. Funnily enough a well fitted saddle and ...Hey Presto no more cold back. That's really helpful info to check though. I'll print it off and put it in my folder....how sad am I!!!

 

[Daphnelia]

thankyou thats really useful. Yes I have had the saddle checked twice, thankyou though. I probably havent explained properly, it has all been investigated by vets (yes more than one - the bills were horrendous!) and found that he had a sore back through compensating because of the lameness in his hock, if that makes sense. After several months field rest he is sound now and so his back is fine, I just want to make sure it stays fine by checking every day he is ridden. He only dips a small bit when i press on his loins and seems unconcerned, not at all what he was like when my osteopath first checked him when he started the cold back symptoms. He almost did sit down then bless him

 

[Daphnelia]

Lol - I havent just done that..

 

[Blizzard]

[ QUOTE ]

if you run fingers down the spine, slightly more firmly, he should either not really react or just dip a little bit. i've seen a horse actually sit down like a dog when someone did this to it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lance was almost this bad a month or so ago, he had been lame in front for about 2 weeks, just on hard ground, I think he was overcompensating, when I checked his back, he was literally going to lie down if I pressed on it!

He had physio the next day (handy having a yard with it all on site) and a week later with massage and heat therapy was fine,

He has since had McTimoney to sort out everything and is finally totally sound.

You can also do the pen test to check the pelvis, and of course the zigzagging on the back.

Generally though feel for any tension spots, watch his face and ears for a reaction, stand behind him, is everything symmetrical?

 

[Daphnelia]

Thankyou will do all that too - what is the pen test? I keep hearing about it but dont actually know what it is

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