Cold backed horses - what's your routine?

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Scaty_Bird

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Hi all,

I've had my horse for nearly four months now and I'm starting to think that he may be slightly cold backed? Always had issues with getting on but the other day his whole back tensed up and it took him a long time to chill. I've had all the checks done etc and any issues have been sorted.

Just wondered what people with cold backed horses do to help them when you groom, before you ride, when you prepare to get on etc????

Thanks in advance!!!!!
 
Put the saddle on first and slowly tightening the girth, do others things to allow him to adjust, bridle etc.
If he was extra fresh,(weather/ had a day off etc) i would lunge my boy for a few minutes then get straight on.
If he was "normal" i would get on slowly, wait, then tighten girth, make him stand then ask him to walk of at my pace! Standing in the stirrups also helped.
He wasnt too bad and its just a case if getting to know your horses.

I also looked into his diet.
He was ax exrace horse so would have had a stressful life.
Decided to give him a supplement for stomach acid, i think this did help loads.
There are lots out there, Global herb acid x is just one.
 
My lad was really bad when I got him (6 years ago) but as he was only 3 I just decided to leave it and gave him a year off ridden work, I was at heavier then and didn't want to risk his young body to my weight. I re-backed him at 4 and just took it very slowly. He would tense up as soon as he saw the saddle, and try to move away. So I started just putting the pad on, then the saddle then do the girth up slowly. I used clicker training with him because I was also using it for mounting issues and other issues (yeap he wasn't the easy cob I ordered!!!).

Even now after all these years I still show him the saddle, I click at him when I'm putting it on his back and I never ever plonk it down...I did once by accident put a saddle quiet quickly on his back and he went through the roof!!! So won't do that again!!

I think really it's all down to being quiet and taking things slowly.
 
Out of interest what checks have you had done?

I thought my new horse was cold backed, same symptoms as you described but gradually getting worse to the point where he threw me off putting me in hospital, eventually I knew something wasnt right I took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with very mild kissing spine...

Not trying to scare you, its probably no where near as drastic with your horse!!

Would also suggest magnetic therapy rugs... they're meant to be very good for warming up muscles before exercise.

xx
 
My daughter's can be cold backed. Not in the summer just when the weather starts getting cold. It started when an instructor who was exercising him (should know better!) didn't do up his girth and the saddle slipped, he went ballistic and then we had a problem after that. Last winter we always lunged him for ten minutes before riding. Still do that if he looks tense. Always put the saddle on 15 minutes before riding. Make sure we walk him around after tightening the girth but the thing that has really worked is somebody stands at his head holding the stirrup and as soon as my daughter puts her foot in the stirrup we feed him mints. He now is so busy looking for the mints he forgets about being worried. I think the thing to remember with cold backed horses is never by complacent and never do anything in a rush.
 
Magnetic rug or else walker for a while before rinding. Saddle on first then boots/bandages etc gradually tightening girth, somebody at his head and lean over for a walk around yard then up. He was a racehorse so when at races one of us would get on him for a walk around stable yard before going to parade ring to help.
 
raff used to be... but his was caused by previous pain/saddle problems...

i used to:
show him the saddle, place numnah on (have been known to warm numnah first), then bridle, then saddle with girth very very loose, then boots, then faff, then slightly tighten girth, then faff, then lead round the school, then tighten slightly.

also mounting was done very carefully, as his was 'remembered' pain, i had to make sure mounting was comfy for him. also off a tall block, always slowly and carefully, with someone holding opposing stirrup and land gently in the saddle. allowed him to walk forward straight away otherwise he got stressed.

he is over it all now, although still has to walk forward as soon as he's mounted.

if it's appeared from nowhere, like ivebeentangoed said, make sure all the checks are done. some would argue there's no such thing as 'cold backed' and that it's a reaction to pain of some sort... :)

good luck!
 
My coloured is very cold backed, i tend to just take a little more time with things. He is so difficult to get on, when I can I try and lunge him for a few minutes under saddle before I hop on.
 
clipcloppop said:
raff used to be... but his was caused by previous pain/saddle problems...

i used to:
show him the saddle, place numnah on (have been known to warm numnah first), then bridle, then saddle with girth very very loose, then boots, then faff, then slightly tighten girth, then faff, then lead round the school, then tighten slightly.

also mounting was done very carefully, as his was 'remembered' pain, i had to make sure mounting was comfy for him. also off a tall block, always slowly and carefully, with someone holding opposing stirrup and land gently in the saddle. allowed him to walk forward straight away otherwise he got stressed.

he is over it all now, although still has to walk forward as soon as he's mounted.

if it's appeared from nowhere, like ivebeentangoed said, make sure all the checks are done. some would argue there's no such thing as 'cold backed' and that it's a reaction to pain of some sort... :)

good luck!
Click to expand...


Same as Clipcloppop, in fact could be talking about my boy lol. Also take ages tacking up and getting ready to go out, not by design but generally yacking but this works for him!
 
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