Injury to area behind saddle?

[Lill]

What could have caused this?

He was flinching when i was clipping that area yesterday like it was uncomfortable for him?

Then when i rode him he was definitely not happy in canter

Have back people coming to look next Tues, unfortunately they can't come any sooner

 

[OrangeEmpire]

in personal experience (ie horses I have known so not necessarily a general rule!) this is caused by the saddle being either too long or slipping back... probably worth a saddler visit too.

 

[Kenzo]

Was it the T18?

 

[Lill]

[ QUOTE ]
Was it the T18?

[/ QUOTE ]

Que???

 

[GinaGem]

Could be a field injury - rolling, falling over, slipping?

 

[Kenzo]

When the back person came, did she/he give you a write up, where there will be a diagram of the horse, of the vertebra/muscles etc where they will for example highlight on the diagram the problem area, T18 is named section in the vertebra (last rib before the lumbar region) which is an area behind your saddle, but if your saddle is too long it will interfere with this area.

 

[Lill]

Ah, no, they haven't come yet! Can't come any earlier than next Tues...

i was hoping for this Fri but they were all booked up

 

[Kenzo]

sorry I'm ahead of you

, my fault but it could be something to do with your saddle but if then again if you have used it for some time without any problems then it could be a field injury.

 

[mickey]

It may be a problem relating to the saddle, or it could be a muscular or deeper ligament injury. Slipping or falling could cause these. If I were you I would only do walk work on the lunge until back person comes, or preferably no work at all, but lots of turnout to stretch legs...walk only if possible!
Good luck.

 

[acolvine]

Sounds like the long back muscles through his thorax/lumbar are contracted/in spasm. Has there been a change in your horses exercise regime recently? Possible increase in work load/new flat work movements/sj or xc?

Could be any number of things that are causing the reaction you are seeing, physio/ebw/chiro should be able to localise it for you.

I would recomend lots of stretching (i can pm you some gentle techniques you could use in the interim). Try lunging as well with pessoa/side reins (fairly loose), just enough to encourage your horse to stretch. And set out some trotting poles raising one side alternately. This is a good pelvic stretch and has the added bonus of no rider weight.
Of course if your horse does not look comfortable then do not proceed any further.

If you look on the equinenergy website you might find an ebw (equine massage therapist) who could see you sooner. They will work from head to tail targetting both the superficial and deep muscles. Will also be able to begin releasing muscle spasm.

Good luck, let me know how you get on.

 

[Lill]

I wasn't intending on riding him until back person had been to be honest... he is fine in walk and trot but canter he just feels awful.

I might hack out in walk but that would be the extent of it!

He is still out 24/7 and looks ok in the field.

I started leg yielding in canter in my lessons and practised that a few times after and since then he's been weird in canter