Horses withers and shoulders twitching/spasming

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Cb7499

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Hi,
My horses withers and shoulders are twitching and spasming when being ridden.
His tail is also swishing a lot as if he is irritated. This only starts once he is warmed up and we’re collected and working.
he has had his back checked not long ago and recently got a new saddle. We have already changed the gullet twice thinking it was the gullet being to wife/narrow but he’s still doing it. He doesn’t rear, buck, kick or anything because of it and he schools nicely but it’s so irritating as it’s constantly twitching and spasming from his wither down to the shoulder
 
Something is hurting him.
Mine did this when I got him (I knew this, he did it when I tried him). Vet confirmed that saddle was too low and too tight (in previous home) and that it would improve With correct kit.
Took about three months, new saddle(s) and physio. He did it very rarely once fixed, never ridden (more if he felt something brush the area).
I’ve not seen him do it in at least a year now. (I’ve had him for 18 months).
I’d start with the saddle, and maybe get vet/physio to check him.
 
Cb7499 said:
Hi,
My horses withers and shoulders are twitching and spasming when being ridden.
His tail is also swishing a lot as if he is irritated. This only starts once he is warmed up and we’re collected and working.
he has had his back checked not long ago and recently got a new saddle. We have already changed the gullet twice thinking it was the gullet being to wife/narrow but he’s still doing it. He doesn’t rear, buck, kick or anything because of it and he schools nicely but it’s so irritating as it’s constantly twitching and spasming from his wither down to the shoulder
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My bolding.

He IS irritated, they don't do that for fun or as an evasion. Your job now is to find out why, but if it started with the new saddle I'd stop using it and if it was happening before that I'd get a vet.
 
SEL said:
What breed? The first sign of a problem with my PSSM mare was twitching - i thought she had a trapped nerve. I also went down saddle fit etc route.

How is your horse under saddle?
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He’s a cob cross, he is perfect under saddle he doesn’t rear, buck or kick out. I know it’s irritation as his tail is swishing. I even put him on magnesium oxide thinking it was so do with nerves but no help. When I rode the other day he didn’t twitch once but last night he was twitching now and again.
Thankyou for reply.
 
Are his withers reactive to the touch if they are it’s probably his rug .
However you must consider that the saddle may be the issue .
what type of rugs is he wearing .
 
If other checks don't find anything, I had a cob mare that did this and it turned out to be certain numnahs and rugs that seemed to brush her hair the wrong way and irritate her - although it took a long time and vet checks etc to find this out. She was fine in rugs with shiny linings that didn't brush her coat the wrong way and cotton numnahs.
 
How is he when you touch his back? My horse started twitching behind his wither very occasionally if I stroked there - took a fair amount of time to find the real issue but the twitching was caused by sore back muscles. If a physio hasn’t seen him recently I think that would be a good place to start.
 
Thats a pain reaction. I would have a chiropractor out and take it from there. Mine is twitchy in that area because he's sore. He's had chiro out and I'm working on the soft tissue myself.
 
Cb7499 said:
Hi,

His tail is also swishing a lot as if he is irritated. This only starts once he is warmed up and we’re collected and working.
Click to expand...

His tail twitching is telling you that he's finding something very uncomfortable. Maybe the collected work is more than he can manage.
 
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