Oh Dear - Help with Back!

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cob1

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Well, horsey had been going extremely well! Some intro dressage & ten mile rides completed successfully!

Over the past couple of weeks his performance has began to deteriorate!

Started with a bit of napping at home when schooling, and at Combined Training yesterday, proceeded in trying to ditch me good style! Bucking / kicking out in walk, tanking off in trot and huge twisty bucks while cantering off! I lost strirrups and made a rite bum of myself at a rather nice comp venue! Peeps were telling me to kick & smack him (trust me he would have had a absolute fit had i), plus i have an inkling that he has hurt his back.....

A lovely lady offered to walk beside me on her horse to actually get him into the ring, and was very firm in making me at least walk around, and then i retired. I was mortified and cried my eyes out when i got back to the trailer.

He is bucking quite alot (he does have a history of bucking, but not as bad as this). He now wont even hardly canter at all, and if i do goes disunited with BIG bucks.

Ive got the back man coming out this week, and felt neds back last night. The muscle area behind the saddle running up to the top of his pelvis is very hard & sore.......

Has anyone any ideas (obviously after backman i will get saddler to do a check, but it looks OK)????
 
I'd get the saddler out first as the back person can treat the symptoms but if the saddle is causing problems then the bad back will just return.

When did you last have your saddle checked?
 
I would just rest him and wait for your back man. I wouldn't worry and get yourself worked up. Most horses seem to be pretty good self harmers! I'm sure the back man will be able to make him more comfortable and advise you on possible causes so you can try and avoid it happening again in the future. It might be worth while having the vet out first so that they can rule out injury or lameness causing the back probs? I think you were right to retire from your comp. Your horse was telling you v clearly that there was something wrong and I think you were right to listen to him and spare him the further discomfort that competing could have caused him.
 
Thanks people.

Absolutediva, i wouldnt be riding him again until the backman and then saddler has been out so no problems there i.e. fixing prob then making him worse again. My saddler takes a bit to get out anyway! Saddler last out a few months ago, but last few times no adjustment required an he hasnt changed shape much recently. I had lots of problems intialy with this saddle last year, but since the flocking has settled its much better.

Thanks glosgirl - to be honest i was absolutely s******g myself anyway, hes extremely strong & when he hurt his back last time he did resort to full height rearing! It was hard when everyone was telling me to give him a good telling off.

The backman is also a vet (and is extremely good) so he should pick any other problems up, however depending on the outcome i will get the vet out anyway.

I do have experience in back probs (KS, Sacroiliac (not with this horse) & Ligament Probs) and understand the implications of a physio / backman masking an underlying prob so i wont go down this route again. This is why i am worried, but hopefully its easily fixable!!
 
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Wow, that's really handy that your backman is a vet too, wish our vets had someone like that!! Try not to worry, one of our mares is madly oversensitive and the very slightest thing out makes her very uncomfortable. But a short back lady visit later and you just wouldn't believe the difference!! Sure all will be good soon, try not to stress.
 
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