Cold backed horses - lunging roller & bareback?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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Never having had a cold backed horse, do they react the same if you put a roller on their back or if you rode bareback? and what about rugs - do they bother with these?
 
Mine hunches up if cold rug put on. Lunge roller i always put on top of a thick pad and never do up as tight as saddle as no one sitting on it, but put on same as saddle with plenty of time between tightening up.
Bareback- never tried it not sure how i could get on as he is 17hh+ and silly sharp whithers! I imagine that would be worse reaction as no prep prior to mounting unlike with saddle.
However with my boy now we have a routine its fairly rare we have an explosion now.
 
I think there is always a reason for a horse being 'cold backed' and it is a matter of trying to find what it is. My own horse will be fine to put a saddle or roller on, and even girth it up quite tight. No apparent 'girthiness' at all. But then, as soon as he tries to move, even the tiniest bit, he explodes broncing and rearing and spinning, then stands trembling and spasming down his flanks. When we found he had kissing spines (ten processes were impinged) we though we had found the cause and so he was operated on. The op improved his way of going and lengthened his strides, but sadly, the panic reation is still there. Not every single time. In fact he can be fine for a couple of sessions and then it can happen again. I have now given up trying to find the needle in a hay sack and he will never be ridden again. :(
 
Mine has had it since i got him- he is an ex racer so no doubt something to do with a different saddle, weight etc. He is always better when well rugged and knowing where he came from they were always rugged well before exercise or racing and they don't sit down like a normal rider so would probably have an effect to, so may never have been a known problem then but osteo reckons a lifelong thing.
A friends old horse became cold backed following a field injury where a stake went through his chest.
I think they can do both from my experience.
 
This always sparks debate- i think there is not always a reason and some is just memory.
I think my ex racer who suffers from a hip problem possibly has a memory of previous pain which he remembers now and again. If his back is sore he reacts more. But there is nothin physically wrong and its not bad enough to not ride. He just hunches and gets tense but relaxes very quickly.
 
Wagtail - sorry to hear this - you have certainly done everything you could.

Thank you for all the feed back, it is something i have never experianced 1st hand - but have seen folk walking horses round a yard, and one big grey at a comp, i thought the horse was going to collapes it dipped so badly i thought it was going to hit the deck when the rider got on, it was horrid to see, but then seamed perfectly fine after about 2 laps around the warm up - the horse was held whilst it was "dipping" and walking round.
 
Being cold backed is a symptom of a physiological problem....being cold backed should not simply be a 'given' - it should always be investigated and not just accepted.
 
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