Cold Backed

[Morrigan_Lady]

Please could some one explain exactly what cold backed is for me.
Arch is REALLY cold backed, I understand the symptoms, but dont actually know what it is and why he does what he does.
Is it basically his muscles in his back are just not developed enough yet?

Sorry if Im being dim, but I want to understnad it.

 

[Firewell]

My mums horse has always been cold backed and we've just found out she has severe kissing spines under the saddle area

.

Personally after this experience I would always be worried that it was an indication that something wasnt quite right.

 

[chestnut cob]

My horse was "cold backed". He would put his back up everytime I went near him with the saddle, would bite and kick out when girthed...had the physio and she said his back was sore. Not long after, I also had the vet who diagnosed spavin in both hocks and a v sore back where he had been compensating for sore hocks. He's now had his hocks medicated and an osteopath treatment... he is now not at all bothered about being girthed up. Had a couple of the old tantrums when he first came back into work but once he realised it actually didn't hurt, he soon got out of the habit.

No cold backed symptoms at all now. Like the other person who replied, I would be really wary now of anything that appears cold backed and be inclined to get your vet out to take a look.

Sorry, this isn't meant to be a horror story or intended to scare you, just my experience of a supposedly cold backed horse.

 

[kildalton]

Can only reiterate what everyone else has said, I don't believe in "cold backed, " in my experience there's always a reason for it.

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
Can only reiterate what everyone else has said, I don't believe in "cold backed, " in my experience there's always a reason for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree - I think there is always a physiological problem going on.
It can be kissing spines, spavins, poor saddle fit (my mare was 'cold backed' once when her saddle didn't fit), etc.
S

 

[china]

cold backed is believed to be a man made condition, either by an ill fitting saddle or by incorrect mounting. mostly by putting your hand on the top of the saddle when u get on and pusing you weight down. my horse is slightly cold backed when being mounted but is fine after a few steps. he is quite bad in the winter in the cold weather when he is tense so i ride in an exercise fleece to warm is muscles up more.

 

[galaxy]

I garee. My friend had a horse that was "cold backed". Had tests, nothing was found. Only on Post Mortem (he had an accident) they foud he had an old fracture to his wither... Poor lad, surprised he was ever ridable!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

IMO 'cold backed' is just the term used to describe horses which are uncomfotable when being saddled/mounted. Minw turned out to have food intolerances which made her very sensitive. When we stopped the problem feed she became much more comfortable, although it took a while for her to get over the learned behaviour. Should I ever have another 'cold backed' horse I should get it checked out thoroughly asap.

 

[Shazzababs]

My boy was very cold backed when he was a youngster from the very first time we started putting a roller and then a saddle on him.

Nothing wrong with him, he was just a sensitive chap and you needed to take time saddling him up and doing the girth up. He's never had a bad experience, just took time to get used to the feelings and weight and all the bits and peices.

He was always worse when the weather was cold, or we were somewhere exciting!

He is 12 now and doesn't do it anymore, although I am always gentle when saddling up. He does blow himself up when you first do the girth, but you just need to give him a minute to breathe and then tighten it up.