cold back. help and advice.

[tusculum10]

As title says above...

My friends had her thoroughbred for 7 months now. she had the vet out for a health check, back therapist for his back and the farrier out. She hacked him out in company for the first couple of months of owning this horse. Mounting him from a mounting block and he was fine as were all the vet and back checks he had. About 1 month ago he was left and not rode as my friend has just got a new job. So she asked one of her friends to ride him a couple of times a week. her friend brought him in today tacked him up everything was fine. Then mounted him, but kind of plonked on his back quite heavily. He coward down poor boy to the weight being put on to rough and quick. She walked him around and he looked a bit lame. so I suggested to maybe not ride him today as he looks like he may have hurt himself as we put him in the field with the other horses yesterday (originally been in his own paddock on his own). so may have hurt himself running around with the other horses. She jumped off his back again quickly and started shouting " he has cold back, blah blah blah". I told her about the vet and back therapist been out and said everything was fine no problems whatsoever. My friend is ever so upset because he as never reacted like that and is now worried whether he might have cold back or if it was the roughness of the mounting.
Can anyone give me an advice on the care of a horse with cold back as I have never heard of the term 'cold back'
Thanks

 

[Izzwizz]

I don't know much about cold backed horses but I wonder whether a magnetic rug would be any good. It certainly helps my mare who has kissing spines, she has it on before exercise and afterwards, it helps blood flow to the back muscles and effectively warms her up. She seems to like it.

 

[be positive]

Its sounds like a combination of maybe too much running around causing him to be a bit sore and tight in his back with what seems to be being mounted rather abruptly just causing him to be uncomfortable and tensing up. The friend sounds rather rough and may have done the girth too tight, possibly has not been that sensitive when she has ridden him previously and the poor horse has just overreacted a bit.
The owner probably should leave riding for a few days and check him over, possibly get the back looked at again, the saddle should also be checked, if all seems fine take it slowly next time he is tacked up walk him round do the girth up in stages and mount him making sure someone is helping, holding the stirrup and that they land lightly on his back.
It is not the end of the world to have a horse that is sensitive but it is worth keeping an eye on the back/ saddle as well as making sure he is treated sensibly when mounting without making a big deal out of it, he is likely to be fine in future.

 

[tusculum10]

Its sounds like a combination of maybe too much running around causing him to be a bit sore and tight in his back with what seems to be being mounted rather abruptly just causing him to be uncomfortable and tensing up. The friend sounds rather rough and may have done the girth too tight, possibly has not been that sensitive when she has ridden him previously and the poor horse has just overreacted a bit.
The owner probably should leave riding for a few days and check him over, possibly get the back looked at again, the saddle should also be checked, if all seems fine take it slowly next time he is tacked up walk him round do the girth up in stages and mount him making sure someone is helping, holding the stirrup and that they land lightly on his back.
It is not the end of the world to have a horse that is sensitive but it is worth keeping an eye on the back/ saddle as well as making sure he is treated sensibly when mounting without making a big deal out of it, he is likely to be fine in future.

Thanks will let the owner know this and get the back person and saddle fitter out. just find it strange as I rode him a couple of weeks back in the arena I tend to put the girth up one on each side, mount him and then once he's relaxed do it up in stages and hes never coward with me and im a 10 and half stone women.

 

[tusculum10]

I don't know much about cold backed horses but I wonder whether a magnetic rug would be any good. It certainly helps my mare who has kissing spines, she has it on before exercise and afterwards, it helps blood flow to the back muscles and effectively warms her up. She seems to like it.

Thanks for this advice, may look into something like this for him. Will talk with my friends vet and see what he suggests