Sore back :( Info for a rookie please!

[Samantha008]

Ok, so silly as it sounds ive never experienced a horse with backpain before. Im completely in new territory.What causes it/ how is it fixed? Physio, massage or vet? Assuming that the saddle is ok but not perfect and the horse has been slightly over worked for his fitness ( i think in hindsight his previous owner told a bit of a tall tale there). The bit that is sore is the bit where the back of the saddle sits. So not his sacroiliac, ive already tested for that.

Thanks for any help!

 

[hunteress]

look up McTimoney and have someone out to look don't throw your money away they do the whole body not just bits and will advise you what to start doing to build the bac up nd they will look at your saddle !! let us know how u get on.

 

[touchstone]

A saddle that is okay but 'not perfect' would be my first port of call.

A saddle that is not quite right can cause pain and even long term damage, it needs checking by an experienced recommended fitter.

I'd also get a vets opinion to rule out medical problems.

 

[ThePony]

A saddle that is okay but 'not perfect' would be my first port of call.

A saddle that is not quite right can cause pain and even long term damage, it needs checking by an experienced recommended fitter.

I'd also get a vets opinion to rule out medical problems.

Same as this!
Any saddle that isn't a perfect fit for the horse can cause pain ans muscle problems. One horse will react differently to another due to the discomfort - like us, some are more sensitive and others can just soldier on!
I'd get a saddle fitter out asap to sort your saddle, then I would also get a back person out to sort the discomfort that it sounds like your horse already has. Mc Timony is my personal choice.

 

[AmyMay]

The first thing you need to do is call your vet.

Please don't have a Mctimothy practitioner or any other type of 'physio' until the vet has looked at your horse and made a proper diagnosis.

The second thing you need to do is have your saddle assessed - as what you describe is typical pain relating to a poorly fitting saddle.

Don't ride until the above have been done and the horse recovered.

 

[Natch]

The first thing you need to do is call your vet.

Please don't have a Mctimothy practitioner or any other type of 'physio' until the vet has looked at your horse and made a proper diagnosis.

The second thing you need to do is have your saddle assessed - as what you describe is typical pain relating to a poorly fitting saddle.

Don't ride until the above have been done and the horse recovered.

What she said.

Plus as mentioned in your other post get your instructor to assess the girl's riding.

 

[Booboos]

I'm afraid I have to agree with the above, it's much better to start with the vet. He/she will diagnose the problem which is most likely to be soft tissue injury but could be all sorts of other things as well. From there your vet can recommend the right specialist to help further and the two will remain in contact and compare notes on how the recovery is going.

Saddles cause the majority of these problems, so a less than perfect fit saddle is very suspect. You will have to address this issue to make sure the problem doesn't recur.

 

[SusieT]

If the sore bit is under the saddle, get that refitted, even if it is just to decide which pads to use to stop it being sore, no point in spending out on physio/vet if your not going to fix the saddle! But given that you are a bit new to back problems-call the vet for a routine appointment.

 

[Cadfael&Coffee]

I agree with all the above, but if your vet can't find anything I would assume that the problem is muscular- the majority of vets won't pick up on this (I never worked out why...) but at least you'll know where to start