Cold backed?

[FizzyFran]

Looking at a horse but before committing to a 3hr drive I want some opinions. Can be slightly cold backed on occasion. Passed 5 stage vetting.

what do you think?- seller said this can be fixed after regular/ consistent work and routine?

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't touch it. I've known several, and owned two. One had kidney failure and the other kissing spines. PSSM can also cause it.

I believe it is always or very nearly always symptomatic of a problem.
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[Tihamandturkey]

I don't believe in "cold backed" the expression really annoys me - there is always an underlying reason ?

 

[FizzyFran]

Thank you! The search continues!?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I wouldn't touch a 'cold-backed' horse. It is almost invariably due to pain.

 

[paddi22]

yeah I've never seen a cold-back horse that wasn't diagnosed with some serious issue

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I am surprised it passed a 5 stage - was the vet aware it is or can be cold backed? Did the vet discuss it with you at all?

 

[hock]

I know of one for sale or at least was that was “cold backed”. I did try and tell them there’s no such thing. It passed a 5* vetting but got returned pretty swiftly.

 

[InklePickle]

My mare is cold backed and has everything checked she's NOT in any pain. She is just super sensitive about stuff.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

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[InklePickle]

I know of one for sale or at least was that was “cold backed”. I did try and tell them there’s no such thing. It passed a 5* vetting but got returned pretty swiftly.

You are wrong.

 

[Bellaboo18]

My mare is cold backed and has everything checked she's NOT in any pain. She is just super sensitive about stuff.

Maybe you've not yet found what shes being 'sensitive' about?

 

[paddi22]

My mare is cold backed and has everything checked she's NOT in any pain. She is just super sensitive about stuff.

there's always something. it's a reaction to something, somewhere in the body. it could be a fascia thing, a muscle thing, a nerve thing. but horses don't manifest a reaction for no reason. we get a good few ones in described as cold backed, there has always been something when explored deep enough. it mightn't be kissing spine or sever pain, but there is something that causes them to react.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

You are wrong.

Sorry but you are the one who's wrong I'm afraid ?

 

[Jellymoon]

Funny that no-one has mentioned saddles, which is the obvious thing for me when people talk about cold-backed.

 

[ycbm]

My mare is cold backed and has everything checked she's NOT in any pain. She is just super sensitive about stuff.

For a number of reasons, it's extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive and actually probably impossible to 100% rule out pain in a horse. Has yours had her back x rayed, back ligaments scanned, ovaries scanned and been tested for kidney function?
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[Bellaboo18]

For a number of reasons, it's extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive and actually probably impossible to 100% rule out pain in a horse. Has yours had her back x rayed, back ligaments scanned, ovaries scanned and been tested for kidney function?
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This. How many times on this forum do we hear, they're definitely not in pain. I just dont understand how anyone can make that bold statement.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

there's always something. it's a reaction to something, somewhere in the body. it could be a fascia thing, a muscle thing, a nerve thing. but horses don't manifest a reaction for no reason. we get a good few ones in described as cold backed, there has always been something when explored deep enough. it mightn't be kissing spine or sever pain, but there is something that causes them to react.

My Welsh xTB was 'cold-backed'. Eventually we found out that she was extremely sensitive/allergic to various foodstuffs. That made her skin very sensitive and inflamed her nerves. Despite several vet visits, we only found the cause by chance.

 

[Carrottom]

So, what are people meaning when they describe a horse as being cold backed?

 

[ycbm]

So, what are people meaning when they describe a horse as being cold backed?

The horse reacts to weight in the saddle. The reaction can range from fidgeting to running off to bucking off the rider.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

The horse reacts to weight in the saddle. The reaction can range from fidgeting to running off to bucking off the rider.

Or even just having the saddle put on/girthed up

 

[Frumpoon]

Looking at a horse but before committing to a 3hr drive I want some opinions. Can be slightly cold backed on occasion. Passed 5 stage vetting.

what do you think?- seller said this can be fixed after regular/ consistent work and routine?

Where is this horse? I know one such currently for sale

 

[Carrottom]

So it could be a very mild irritation or a reaction to pain and we are using the same definition?
I have an aged tb who I thought cold backed on occasion, if he hasn't been ridden for months,the first few times his back will come slightly or he might swish his tail. Ridden away from the mounting block this will settle within 20 strides or less. After a week of riding it doesn't happen.

 

[ycbm]

So it could be a very mild irritation or a reaction to pain and we are using the same definition?
I have an aged tb who I thought cold backed on occasion, if he hasn't been ridden for months,the first few times his back will come slightly or he might swish his tail. Ridden away from the mounting block this will settle within 20 strides or less. After a week of riding it doesn't happen.

That's not cold backed, cold backed is persistent.

 

[ycbm]

Or even just having the saddle put on/girthed up

I wouldn't call that cold backed myself, but only because I've never heard a horse like that described as cold backed before.
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[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Perhaps I didn't word it carefully enough, I meant there doesn't have to be the weight of the rider added to the saddle for the horse to start objecting.

 

[Carrottom]

I wouldn't call that cold backed myself, but only because I've never heard a horse like that described as cold backed before.
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This is why I'm never too sure about the description. I once put a new anti slip pad on the horse mentioned, I girthed up the saddle and he stood bucking in his stable. Took it off and put one of his usual pads on and he was fine.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I wouldn't call that cold-backed and I would say that the cause of the problem was obvious. 'Cold-backed' has historically been used when the cause was not obvious.

 

[Sossigpoker]

A cold backed horse is either in pain or reacting to a memory of pain. I wouldn't knowingly purchase a cold backed horse.

 

[blitznbobs]

Its impossible to know whether a horse has pain or not... even if all the tests come back as pain free it doesnt mean there is no pain... ask someone with fibromyalgia... all the objective blood tests/ xrays /scans come back normal but the pain is very real.