Is there such a thing as a cold backed horse?

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Tilda

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Is there such a thing as cold backed or is it usually caused by pain?

I ask this because my horse reacted very strangely to me mounting today. I have had him since the end of January and he has always been nervous of being mounted from a mounting block (practically impossible from a leg up but fine if I mount from the ground) I have linked this to the fact that he is also quite nervous when you touch just behind his ears like something has happened from a height. He is usually fine now with the mounting block and we have a ramp for the RDA along one side of our school and has been fine with this as long as I am quiet and gentle. He still try's to walk off once i'm on but that's it although he has been shooting off a bit quicker in the school recently and taking a lap of the school before he really settles.

Well today I got on him from the ramp and as I lifted my leg to put it over him he sort of arched his back as if he was bracing himself. He shot off in a jog and his back remained arched for a few strides. I got off and got someone to come and watch and he was the same again. I have recently had his back done (3 weeks ago) and his back was fine so I thought I'd see if he'd work through it and he did very quickly and worked better than he has before!

Now I am thinking 2 things a) he is just cold backed or b) as I have only noticed him doing this in the school it is him trying to get out of schooling because he finds it hard or he is hurting (which is surely unlikely if he works ok after?)

Any ideas?
 
Yes there is such a thing as a cold backed horse, but that reaction sounds more like pain to me.

I would try warming his back / numnah before you mount, or leave his saddle on for a while to warm up beforehand.

However I would be inclined to get a physio or chiro out to see him first.
 
Will be interested in any replies as have similiar issues with my cob...ever since I have had him the first time I mount, he will move off quickly and feel tense, but within a few strides relaxes again.

Interestingly, he does not do it if I travel him anywhere tacked up, and if I get on and off out hunting, never reacts at all - it is just the initial getting on.

Mine has had both a physio and chiro check, and got the vet to have a quick look when he was last vaccinated, and none of them found anything obvious, and have his saddle checked every 6 mnths by a Master Saddler......of course I could go further down the vetinary route but as he seems happy and willing in his work, so do not see it as necessary atm.

I know a lot of people would say it is a pain issue, but I genuinely do not believe it with mine, and would describe him as 'cold backed'.
 
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Thanks dressagelove I thought I might put his saddle on earlier when I next ride him and then put his fleece over the top to warm up a bit. He literally only had physio 3 weeks ago but I guess he could have hurt himself since then and as our physio is based in the same village I think I will see if she can pop in for a quick check over this week. It is the fact that he seems to get over it so quickly that makes me wonder about pain.
 
I agree with dressagelove. I have a mare that is cold backed but it is a fairly constant reaction and it doesn't occur until I sit in the saddle, have had her back checked and her tack checked numerous times. It makes no odds if I mount from the ground, mounting block or a leg up. It makes no difference where we are or what is happenig around her, although occasionally her hormones may come into play :)
 
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Sidney said:
Will be interested in any replies as have similiar issues with my cob...ever since I have had him the first time I mount, he will move off quickly and feel tense, but within a few strides relaxes again.

Interestingly, he does not do it if I travel him anywhere tacked up, and if I get on and off out hunting, never reacts at all - it is just the initial getting on.

Mine has had both a physio and chiro check, and got the vet to have a quick look when he was last vaccinated, and none of them found anything obvious, and have his saddle checked every 6 mnths by a Master Saddler......of course I could go further down the vetinary route but as he seems happy and willing in his work, so do not see it as necessary atm.

I know a lot of people would say it is a pain issue, but I genuinely do not believe it with mine, and would describe him as 'cold backed'.
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just wondering, does your horse do it if you lunge him for 10 mins before you get on?

I have no advice but would be interesting to see if that makes a difference, like travelling him does?!?!
 
Tilda said:
Sidney it does sound very similar so hopefully trying to leave the saddle on a bit longer will work
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Just had another thought, as you say he has always been tricky to mount? Maybe he has had pain in the past in his back or wherever, and now, even if it isn't painful anymore, he has a learned response and is anticipating pain when you mount.

Maybe go back to basics and try to make him realise it won't hurt anymore? Worth a try perhaps.
 
I've found with my lad who is coldbacked whipping him on the lunge with a warm sheepskin numnah before getting on helps. Eventually he got better and better and now I only have to lunge if I'm getting on in an open space and he's exctied/ tense.
 
That could well be it dressagelove I actually took a tumble about 2 months after I got him because there was a green plastic mountain block sat on top of the ramp which I stood next to when I tried to mount. He was very tense and jumped sideways as I mounted so I hit the dirt. I then had to get my yard manager to hold him while I tried to mount as he was very spooked and everytime I put my foot in the stirrup his back dipped. We just kept repeating that until he stopped dipping his back and since then he has been much better except when the green mounting block is there so now I just drag it out the way and he is fine. He also hates it when people stand and watch me from the ramp he will leap sideways or run past. Again this improves with practice. I guess he will never be an RDA horse!
 
Thanks kokopelli another good idea although I did read it first as 'my lad who is cold backed whipping him ....' :D
 
The one thing I do with my young horses before actually getting on is getting them to stand quietly beside all sorts of "mounting blocks" while I rub them all over, with hand and foot, put weight into the stirrup and retreat back onto the block with more rubbing....and when I do finally put my leg over and sit there, I do just that, sit there and then dismount...and even when we can move off I don't for at least half a minute. The horse must not move off until I ask him to.....basic education and easily retaught.....it just needs patience and an ability to advance and retreat, and reward the right behaviour!!!
 
Just because physios and vets find no soreness in the back does not mean there is no soreness in the back. Often with a condition such as kissing spine, there is no muscle soreness, but instead the horse experiences sharp shooting pains due to nerves getting pinched between the impinging spines. Same with sacroilliac pain (I Know because I have it. My back does not feel sore when palpated, even quite hard, but boy, when that joint is inflamed I am crippled with pain). Back to horses, my boy would react panicked when he tried to move after the girth had been tightened, with or without rider. He was checked by two vets, a chiro and a physio. All told me his back was fine with no soreness. When I insisted he was xrayed, they found severe kissing spine in ten places. Sadly after the op he is no better though so I am now looking for another cause. I do not believe there is such a thing as 'cold backed' just horses that are in pain that gradually wears off when ridden.
 
Definitely is yes. But there are also horses who are/have been in pain and those who quite frankly take the p***. I could not mount my old mare (now 20) unless I put a scoop of food on a barrel when mounting (or ramp if at a show). This made her 'forget' that she is cold backed. The condition returned violently if I didn't leave enough. However my Newbie which I've had a week, violently cowkicks when being mounted and that's just a rider frightener which is why she was given to me in the first place (yes vetted/physio/saddler etc).

Sounds like yours could be fear or pain though as its generally mares IMO.
 
Wagtail was that the only point in which your boy demonstrated that he was uncomfortable? I will try warming his back first, will pay more attention when I get on at the mounting block outside the school because so far I haven't noticed him do it then, then practice desensitising and if no luck will investigate further. I will also get physio back out. thanks for your thoughts everyone
 
To me, 'cold backed' simply means there is a physical and/or mental issue with being mounted. I would have to say this wouls usually start with a physical issue - perhaps horse backed too early/quickly/poor fitting tack. Or mounting remains something that brings bad memories - fear of the rider/poor backing etc. horses have long memories , and to me all the anecdotes above point to pain or less then ideally backed horse.
A physically well horse, at ease with being ridden wouldnt object to a rider - even if not ridden for years. Something at some stage has gone wrong . always double check back etc for everything eg saddle fit, kissing spines etc, or some patient reschooling to accept saddle and rider
 
Tilda said:
Wagtail was that the only point in which your boy demonstrated that he was uncomfortable? I will try warming his back first, will pay more attention when I get on at the mounting block outside the school because so far I haven't noticed him do it then, then practice desensitising and if no luck will investigate further. I will also get physio back out. thanks for your thoughts everyone
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Yes. He did not even show discomfort as I was actually pulling the girth tighter, just when he tried to move afterwards. I found that if I tightened the girth one at a time and walked him round inbetween, he was okay. After the op, he was better for a while. I could tighten the girth more than I ever could before and he did not react afterwards, but then one day it just returned. :confused: If it was memory pain, then I think he would have still done it after the op and not been okay for several months before it happening again. He was always fine to ride after a couple of minutes.

I don't believe that horses take the 'p*ss', or can put on 'pain' such as being lame. They do not have the mental capacity to do these things. There is always a reason. I think in some cases there is such a thing as memory pain, but firmly believe that this can be overcome eventually with sympathetic handling.
 
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Just thought I'd update everyone who responded to my thread with suggestions. Tonight I put Max's saddle on after a quick brush straight after taking his turnout rug off, put the fleece over it and left for about 20-30 mins before I got on and we had no back arching at all! He even waited until I asked him to move away from the mounting block!

He seemed fine we even did a bit of jumping which he loves and had an audience of YM and a couple of liveries who said he looked to be going really well :) I will remain vigilant and if it returns or gets worse even with leaving the saddle to warm up I will seek professional help.

Thanks again for all suggestions x
 
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