Cold Backed Horse

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valentinenat

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I was just wondering I have got this 17 HH ex steaple chaser 14 years old which I have been told that he is slightly colded backed which wasent much of a problem, untill the day where i normally mount him, he felt tense and pantiked when i first got on but his back only tensed when i moved my legs to either ask him to walk on or get my struips. So gave him a gentle squeeze and he flipped it rearing and bucking. Now this only has happened twice but this time it was wrose and i was just wondering if it could be to do with the cold backed because some days it doesnt seem to bother him.
Would be very gratfull for anyones advise as i don't want him to cause a injury to him self or others in the future.
 
TBH, 'cold-backed' is just an old-fashioned term to describe a horse like yours. In the old days, if the behaviour wasn't too bad, the rider just put up with it and if the behaviour was extreme the horse was shot.
Nowadays, we recognise that the horse has a problem of some kind. You need to have the horse's back and saddle checked.
We used to have a 'cold-backed' horse who reacted to both tack and rugs. She was found to have a food sensitivity, which made her skin very tender/irritable.
 
Id get him checked, ive ridden one where you had to leave the girth slack, mount, but dont sit down, dont pick up a contact, just gently ask him to walk, then after 2-3 minutes gradually ease yourself into the saddle and pick up a contact, then tighten girth after a few minutes, as long as you started like this the horse was then fine to ride normally
 
Definately get him looked at.. once he has been checked, tack checked etc then maybe start walking for 5 minutes before you get on. I did this with my mare for years, YO does it too with some horses.

We have a stile we can use as a mounting block about 5 mins walk from the yard.
 
Saddle, teeth, stomach ulcers. The later sounding the most likely.

Does he get enough turnout, wind suck it crib bite, does he get Adlib hay?
You should seek advice from a vet for test for ulcers etc.
A physio or chiropractic could help, if its tension etc.
 
There is no such thing as 'cold backed'. You describe your horse as panicking. This type of reaction is indicative of sudden shooting pains rather than general achey pain. The type of condition that causes this kind of pain is usually related to trapped nerves caused by kissing spines. My own horse was thought to be cold backed. Vets and physios found no soreness in his back but xrays showed a very severe case of KS. His only symptoms were suddenly panicking when asked to move away after the girth had been tightened, or after I mounted, and a reluctance to canter on a circle. He was operated on to remove five of his spinal processes, and he is no longer cold backed.
 
I've had my boy since he was 18 months old and he has always been cold backed. When he was a baby he would occasionally leap into a bucking fit when you touched him with the girth, as your weight touched the saddle or as you asked him to walk off.

There is nothing wrong with him, we had all the checks, he is just a sensitive soul.

Basically I follow the following routine when tacking up and rarely have any 'incidents' now days.

1) Place saddle on horse and leave un-girthed while putting on bridle
2) Loosely girth up on bottom hole each side.
3) Get ready to ride.
4) Tighten Girth.
5) Walk horse forward, if he has a 'hump' behind the saddle, keep going until he relaxes.
6) Mount, gently (I always use a mounting block). I always allow my boy to take a step forwards as it really helps.

He is worse if its cold weather or if he is tense, i.e. at a competition. I also learned the hard way NEVER to tack him up in a lorry\trailer, he almost killed me jumping out of the front ramp (over the breast bar) once.

He is also fine if I have to get off and back on again, its only the first mounting of the day which causes a problem.

Get your horses back checked etc. and if he is all OK then find yourself a similar routine that works for you.
 
I think I am with Wagtail on this 'cold-backed' word.

Horses never lie. If it hurts, they will flinch, turn, buck or do whatever it takes to ease the pain/discomfort. I can't believe some people still persevere trying to sit gently, or counting to three, not doing girth up... without finding what problem actually is.

Because, quite clearly, there is a problem. Is it the tack, or is it something more sinister? Ulcers, spinal problems, sacroiliac imbalances or maybe "period pains" for mares, in which case give her a break. If tack, that is so easily sorted. If something else, wouldn't you rather do something to help?
 
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Shazzababs said:
I've had my boy since he was 18 months old and he has always been cold backed. When he was a baby he would occasionally leap into a bucking fit when you touched him with the girth, as your weight touched the saddle or as you asked him to walk off.

There is nothing wrong with him, we had all the checks, he is just a sensitive soul.

Basically I follow the following routine when tacking up and rarely have any 'incidents' now days.

1) Place saddle on horse and leave un-girthed while putting on bridle
2) Loosely girth up on bottom hole each side.
3) Get ready to ride.
4) Tighten Girth.
5) Walk horse forward, if he has a 'hump' behind the saddle, keep going until he relaxes.
6) Mount, gently (I always use a mounting block). I always allow my boy to take a step forwards as it really helps.

He is worse if its cold weather or if he is tense, i.e. at a competition. I also learned the hard way NEVER to tack him up in a lorry\trailer, he almost killed me jumping out of the front ramp (over the breast bar) once.

He is also fine if I have to get off and back on again, its only the first mounting of the day which causes a problem.

Get your horses back checked etc. and if he is all OK then find yourself a similar routine that works for you.
Click to expand...

Have you had his back xrayed? That tacking up thing is EXACTLY what my boy would be like. In the end I couldn't take him anywhere. He was checked by a chiro, physio and two vets. All said his back was not at all sore! Horses always do things for a reason.
 
Before sitting on him make sure you have done all saddling slowly and carefully, warm the whole lot with a light rug for ten minutes, use a mounting block and walk for ten minutes while half standing in the stirrups. Certainly try lunging with tack on.
I always check a young horse's back before saddling by running hands down the backbone, not a thorough check, but if you do it every day, you will be more sensitive to his feelings.
 
tallyho! said:
I think I am with Wagtail on this 'cold-backed' word.

Horses never lie. If it hurts, they will flinch, turn, buck or do whatever it takes to ease the pain/discomfort. I can't believe some people still persevere trying to sit gently, or counting to three, not doing girth up... without finding what problem actually is.

Because, quite clearly, there is a problem. Is it the tack, or is it something more sinister? Ulcers, spinal problems, sacroiliac imbalances or maybe "period pains" for mares, in which case give her a break. If tack, that is so easily sorted. If something else, wouldn't you rather do something to help?
Click to expand...

This a million times ^^^ - cold-backed = Load of tosh
 
Wagtail said:
Have you had his back xrayed? That tacking up thing is EXACTLY what my boy would be like. In the end I couldn't take him anywhere. He was checked by a chiro, physio and two vets. All said his back was not at all sore! Horses always do things for a reason.
Click to expand...

I would totally agree with this. I had a vet and a physio check my horse over after I suspected he had back issues, both deemed him fine. It was only when I insisted on x-rays that his severe KS was finally diagnosed.
 
My old boy is cold backed, not sure if he has always been but I know in the past he has had back problems, his back is now checked very regular, saddle is checked etc. All he does is dip slightly when you first get on but this is only if you havent walked him round a bit first. For example at a show because i ride my other horse first he is left tacked up walking round with my OH for a while and when i get on he is fine but if not sometime he will dip. After a few seconds he is fine and carries on as normal. He is 22 and still out competing happily.
 
Miss L Toe said:
Before sitting on him make sure you have done all saddling slowly and carefully, warm the whole lot with a light rug for ten minutes, use a mounting block and walk for ten minutes while half standing in the stirrups. Certainly try lunging with tack on.
I always check a young horse's back before saddling by running hands down the backbone, not a thorough check, but if you do it every day, you will be more sensitive to his feelings.
Click to expand...

Whilst this may address the symptoms, if you have to do this with a horse there is something wrong with them or the tack.
 
It sounds like an issue, but it might not even be his back, my horse is difficult to mount, wont stand to be mounted, and then tight, tense, and bucks when you get on for about 10 mins, then settles. He has arthritis in his hip joint, and has to be medicated.

The bone scan and other tests showed nothing in his back at all. I have to lunge for 15 minutes to warm him up b4 riding.
 
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