Cold Backed horses...HELP

[neighnay]

Hi there i have recently been given a 'cold backed' Horse to try and sell....however i appear to be falling in love with him! hes such a gent. Hes a 17.1 irish Draught ten years old. He was a mans hunting horse but this chap sadly died hence how i ended up having him. i have had him for a couple of months...when i tried him in the school he hadnt been ridden for about a year, i got on he had five minutes of sillyness(nothing dangerous, purely hopping about) he then calmed down. i got him home and i ahve only hacked him since having him at home, he got better as time went on. He would have five minutes up the lane of prancing about and then ten minutes in he would relax...however it appeared to get worse downhill, although again this totally stopped after say half an hour of riding.
I started to massage him for ten minutes or so before getting on him and this appeared to help somewhat. I have had him massaged recently and she didnt find he had any major problems just one spot he was very sensitive over, she suggested Mctimeney treatment...has anyone used this?
it also appears to me that when he may have done this behaviour in the past someone has possibly smacked him fairly hard as if you even touch behind the saddle he freaks out! so you have to rub him gently to get him use to it....its such a shame he does it as without that he is faultless...and i would be very tempted in keeping him if i know i would be safe on him.
Any ideas out there welcome!
Thanks in advance

 

[spacefaer]

I would def recommend a McTimoney chiro - I use one regularly and it's really good even just as an MOT every so often on ridden horses

We have had two horses who could be described as cold backed - one has huge white patches under the tree points of the saddle and the chiro said he had ancient nerve damage there, so it's vital with him to have a perfectly fitted saddle (he reacts so violently, you don't even get as far as sitting down in the saddle)

the other one bronced as though she'd never been ridden when we first put a saddle on her - she hadn't been sat on for approx 10 months. The previous owner subsequently admitted that they used to put the saddle on then go and have a cup of tea. She would then react less when they got on (!)

My chiro found issues behind her poll in particular and pain in her lumbar region. after 2 sessions, I can get on her without any reaction at all. The only time I now get anything from her at all is going steeply downhill, if she thinks the saddle has slipped forward - she's paranoid about the saddle over her shoulders

Best of luck with him!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

If the saddle is defo a good fit, I'd be suspicious of remembered pain, as you say. But I also found, when I backed my 12yr old rescued gipsy cob mare, that if you stay in a forward seat for a few minutes after mounting, and just give her time to think things through, she would be fine. Plonk down on her back and kick her on and she'd round her back up underneath you and give some little bucks. I always felt that the easiest way of thinking of it was as a politeness thing. Good luck x

 

[UKa]

Just a warning note, make sure that you are certain that all other possible issues can be ruled out and that the horse is really "only" cold-backed... otherwise you may just get a vet bill or two later...

If there is no underlying medical condition, then why not try lungeing horse before getting on (I do that a lot with my mare who has back issues, I even only tack up once she has had a good spin around so that she doesn't tense up when saddle gets on). Just avoid tacking up and getting on "straight from the stable". and always use a mounting block when getting on. Oh, and fitting in regular groundwork is good too...