cold backed ? ?

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mandysk

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hi all, i bought a horse 12 months ago and quickly realised that he was cold backed and would buck for the first 10 mins of riding. i don't have saddles that don't fit my horses, they see a chiropractor and have massages and 6 months later i could get on no bucking and no problems, one thing i didn't think about at the time was that along with all this the weather was so much warmer, i bought him in oct, the weather has obviously got colder in the last few weeks, and he's starting putting his back up at me in the first 10 mins of riding, anyone out there with a cold backed horse, is your horse worse in colder weather, or like mine show little signs of it in the warmer months ? thanks in advance
 
Didn't make any difference with the weather with mine when he was like it. Long lining or lunging first or walking around in hand for 10 minutes with a fleece over the top however really did help.
 
Mine is like yours, the last week he has been much worse, i keep him rugged as needed to keep him warm not sweaty but always so if i put my hand on his back he is warm, i also tack up by quartering my rug so not exposing his quarters and also ride in exercise sheet as required even if people think Im mad i know he needs to be warm.
One winter i even put his saddle cloth on the yard owners aga!
 
thanks guys, dizzy I thought is this a stupid question and can it be worse in colder weather ? so good to hear your story, and will make me pay a bit more attention. one more question do you try using thicker numnahs? does that make any difference ? :)
 
Mine was much worse last winter and I felt it for the first time again last week! Riding with a summer sheet over my legs/ his back end at first helps, as does putting my Equilibrium massage pad on beforehand.
 
that's great dizzy i have a le mieux but need a second so I'll take a look at the premier one, smell sorry not seeing the connection the ulcers ? this happens when i first Get on for 10 mins ?
 
My boy displayed similar behaviour last year after I clipped him during a cold spell, having NEVER displayed such behaviour before. I invested in a sheepskin girth sleve and a sheepskin lined numnah, which I warmed using a hotwater bottle before tacking up. Problem solved. Keeping him wrapped and warm and putting the saddle on well in advance of riding also helped a lot.

I agree cold backedness can be a sign of pain but as the name suggests, it can be a seasonal thing which in this instance I think is the case...
 
My old pony was. Nothing wrong with him having been checked out, 10 mins walking round and he was fine. He was with us until his late 20's with a trachiotomy, wouldn't jump (legs had been rapped at dealers) but he'd do just about anything else.
 
My grey used to be cold backed when I got him as a 5yo. He was dreadful, his back would go up and he'd shoot about and walk very tensed up for about 30 seconds when I first got on (occassionally he exploded broncing me off). Lungeing I think helped a little but not always. He was definately worse in cold weather. I would put the saddle on straight away so by the time Id finished grooming / faffing then the saddlecloth would have warmed up a bit. Definately found a sheepskin lined saddlecloth helped mine, the very few times I used a plain one for dressage - he was way worse!

Mine though amazingly got cured. He was cold backed for about 2 years when I had him but one winter I turned him away for a few months break and put him on Superflex - he came back in the spring no longer cold backed!! Very odd and dont think it can be explained but hey ho I dont care as it sorted him. Very very occassionally he would be slightly "humpy" when I got on on a really windy, cold day at an event or something but very rarely after that. 10 years on, he never does even that anymore.
 
Things that may help .
Using a magnetic rug for a couple of hours before getting on.
Equissage before riding .
leading about saddled and rugged over the top for at least ten mins before getting on.
Has a vet done a work up his back ? Because that's what I would do.
 
My mare, has had back, saddle check, regular physio, scoped for ulcers etc, there is nothing wrong with her, the fitter she is the better generally, always better in summer when she is out which I think is due to moving around more. When you intially get on her back shots up and its like riding a horse going downhill! She settles after a few mins and is fine. I generally tack her up and walk round for few mins and then get on. Loose girth helps and then tighening when relaxed although on occasions where she broncs can cause more issues then it resolves.
 
we had a very cold backed horse on the yard and really struggled with him if he wasnt in constant work, the thing that made the most difference -changing the farrier!! turnout he was just left too long and too flat -it altered his whole frame so much he couldnt cope with it and had related back pain, the farrier was a remedial farrier with many years experience and just didnt realise he was actually making it much worse! we changed to a new farrier due to other unrelated issues and he was never "cold backed" again!!
 
How can stating what I have found with various horses be dramatic? It's not, it's just the truth - generally there is an issue that can hopefully be fixed. 'Cold backed' is such a non-specific, catch all term after all.
 
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