Muscle Spasms in horses back - anyone familiar?

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lpenaluna

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Hi all,

I posted recently in the lounge section.

Quick update - horse suddenly, after a week off, was showing cold backed behaviour when mounted, tense and reluctant to go forward, exploding into violent bucks in canter, disunited in canter.

Vet came out, bute 6 days = no change, possible kissing spines so x-rayed = no kissing spines.

Still has muscle spasms in his back.

Anyone had this with their horse??? What caused it and what treatment did you give?
 
As a student of the Equine Touch (level 3) http://www.theequinetouch.com/ I would ask your vet if you could have someone out to do some bodywork on your horse.

I would also get your saddle checked out by a saddle fitter.

Has anything changed recently in respect of tack, pads etc?

Has your horse had a fall or accident, however minor might be related?

Horses are hard wired not to show pain until they are really in pain. In the wild if they went around showing every little niggle they become easy pickings for the predators. This has not changed for the domestic horse. They start to compensate and over time layers of compensation build up until symptoms start to appear such as you are describing.

It sounds like your vet is trying all the usual diagnostic tests which is good. My friends horse a number of years ago had a similar issue, xrays showed nothing, but muscle spasm in back was very bad.

Her vet recommended a course of physio, acupuncture, equissage machine and then some shockwave treatments.

Once the mare was better she had a new saddle fitted.

My friend is also trained in Equine Touch and has had no futher problems with her horses back.

Good luck and hope your horse gets better soon

x
 
Yeah i had it with my Thoroughbred! hes i did all the same things you did! i also got some hands on work done with him! and no change!! i was getting put in the air high enough to know i was in the air! if that makes sense!!

Yeah i was about to give up all hope when i got a very higly recommened vet from Edinburgh way!

and it turned out to be a trapped Nerve in his back!! hes now bad in full work and jumping! and not a problem!!

Hope all goes ok and you find out what the problem is!!
 
I believe you should speak to your vet to see if he believes the issue is skeletal or soft tissue. Once that's done you need a chiropractor for skeletal or physio/equine sports massage for soft tissue.

Where are you based, as I'm sure there will be therapists in your area on the HHO who can help?
 
Im in Oxfordshire, but sending the horse for rehab livery and physio treatment in the Birmingham area.

X-rays show no bone/spine related injury or changes so its either ligament damage or local muscle damage and the muscle spasms are a secondary condition.

Vet says physio treatment and steriod injections into his back.

Fingers crossed!
 
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