'Cold backed' help

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Harliquin

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So, I have been offered to help with a friend's horse she has on full loan. Which is great because it's like getting a part loan horse for free :D

So I first rode her on Wednesday and told she was cold backed so to sit down on her slowly. That was fine, I used a mounting block and stood in the stirrups before sitting down slowly and she was perfect, no movement.

But today, I was having a lesson, and I did the exact same thing but she was getting jumpy even with me putting my feet in the stirrups.

I have told my friend maybe she should get her saddle/back etc checked, and she said the owner has done all of that.

So I was just wondering any tips for mounting this kind of horse? If she gets jumpy is there something I could do to help her calm before sitting down into the saddle?

When I am on her she is so lovely to ride, it's just the first hurdle of mounting :(
 
I would suspect it is saddle and a sore back. A cold back is either real pain or remembered pain. So either the current saddle and girth hurt or previous ones have caused damage and she remembers. The reason why she calms once you are in it is because it is similar to toothache. if you have a painful tooth and you press it it really hurts. but press harder and the pain sort of numbs. until you let go then it all comes back. So when you initially get on something possibly inside the saddle stick in her and it hurts, eventually your weight numbs the pain or her adrenaline takes over and she's ok. but long term further damager may be being done. when was her saddle last checked and by whom. Was it checked for fit before winter weight loss/gain. And was it checked thoroughly for sharp lumps, loose tacks inside, inset stirrup bars.

if your friend is not prepared to get the saddle checked again then the only suggestion is to lunge the horse first, with the saddle girthed up tight and let her get used to the pressure before you get on
 
I've had two horses with kissing spines. The first one was just as you described (before we knew what his problem was). Most times when you mounted you had to lower yourself very carefully into the saddle, and allow him to move forward in his own time. The first few steps were always tricky, and occasionally he would explode into bronco bucking, not stopping until he'd got me off. Once he'd done this a few times I realised he had a big problem which was investigated and treated. He went to John Walmsley at Liphook (this was about 18 years ago) and he said that in his experience horses were never just "cold backed" but that there is always an underlying problem. So I would say that your horse should be checked very carefully (conditions such as kissing spines can't be diagnosed without x-ray/scanning etc) as she is obviously trying to tell you that she isn't happy.
 
A cold back can be caused by pain or a fear of pain but it can also be caused by a reflex, particularly on a thin skinned or sensitive horse. i.e. a nerve is stimulated which causes a reflex action that the horse has no voluntary control over. Once pressure is incraesed by the rider being on for a few minutes te reflex ceases.

Obviously a badly fitting saddle will also cause it and it is possible that the saddle fit may be different to when the saddle was checked. With a cold backed horse the saddle should be checked more regularly anyway.

Assuming the horse is physically ok and the saddle fits, ive found the best way to deal with it is a thin wool numnah ( a thick one will affect the saddle fit) and put the saddle on for at least ten minutes before you get on. Girth up very loosely at first and gradually tighten the girth to the correct tension (not too tight) then lead the horse in hand before mounting. Sometimes a 20m circle in hand is all thats needed, sometmes a couple of circuits of the school. Then double check the saddle is in the correct position behind the shoulder blade before getting on from a block or a leg up.
 
teddyt said:
Assuming the horse is physically ok and the saddle fits, ive found the best way to deal with it is a thin wool numnah ( a thick one will affect the saddle fit) and put the saddle on for at least ten minutes before you get on. Girth up very loosely at first and gradually tighten the girth to the correct tension (not too tight) then lead the horse in hand before mounting. Sometimes a 20m circle in hand is all thats needed, sometmes a couple of circuits of the school. Then double check the saddle is in the correct position behind the shoulder blade before getting on from a block or a leg up.
Click to expand...

^^ this is exactly how i have dealt with my 'cold backed' horse. when i first got him, he'd kick out, swish his tail and run backwards when being mounted. now he sometimes moves away from the mounting block, but isn't grumpy like he used to be. in my horse's case, it was remembered pain from badly fitting saddles and bad mounting i think... :)
 
When i worked in one of the racing yards we had a VERY cold backed yearling the way they found best to deal with this for this particular horse was he was tacked up 15min before anyone got on him had a 5 min lead out then the rider was legged up on to him very gently he always coped with this quite well but then i know all horses are different.
 
I find that warming the horse up on the ground first - even if it's just a walk up the road in-hand, or a 5/10 min lunge - helps their back muscles to warm up and loosen. I find that this has shown the best results. The mare I ride is cold-backed and generally sensitive, which makes her buck into canter and buck when mounted. I just try to be very careful not to dig my toes into her side when mounting, always mount from a block and never fron the ground, lower myself carefully, and also to rub her back before putting the saddle on to help stimulate the muscles first.
Good luck.
 
My one used to be cold backed for the first 2 years I had him (as a youngster), it was horrible. Had his back, saddle etc. checked several times to no avail. Eventually he just sort of grew out of it. But he's still a bit jumpy when I get on occassionally, I find he's much better in a fully sheepskin lined saddlecloth. He remains quite tight if I ride in his thin dressage saddlecloth.
 
I had a horse like this, she was fine when fit and in regular work. The physio said that she had weak stomach muscles, we did lots of pessoa work to strengthen her. I used to put the numnah on a radiator before putting it on and do the girth up really slowly. I had the saddle checked, vet, physio etc. They all though that it was remembered pain from a bad fitting saddle in the past. The horse was absolutely fine if you lunged her for 5 minutes on each rein before getting on.
 
Thanks for all the advice :)

Think I will try and do some lunge work, or walk with her before mounting. Also will try and persist that she and her saddle get checked out again (just in case).

I was told she had some problems with her feet some time ago, but that has all healed up. I am wondering if it is remembered pain from that, seeing as pressure on the back would put painful pressure on her feet if they hurt?
 
I've got a cob, who I've noticed has been cold-backed this winter. He's always been fine to saddle up and go, but a few times in the cold weather he's tried to buck when I've just been going out. He's fully clipped out and I ride in a polypad underneath, with a plastic girth, and I wondered if it was the girth (cold plastic) that was causing the problem as well as the coldness of the saddle on his back, the saddle being kept in a cold tack-room.

Solution was to take the polypad and warm it up next to the Rayburn (cushy!!), and get a sheepskin sleeve for the girth.
 
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