Sore back? New horse had total flip last night and scared the life out of me!

[seoirse]

Got a FAB new horse on 21st November last year, he belongs to a friend who’s gone to live in Oz and I’ve known the horse for years. He’s 14 and my friend owned him since a 2yo. Anyway, I’ve always admired him so the opportunity to have him was just awesome. We’ve had a wobbly start as its the worst time of year to get a new horse and with all the howling wind as well riding not always been possible. Anyway, to his credit he’s not put a foot wrong, we’ve ridden in the school, round the farm and hacked out a fair bit and he’s been fantastic good fun and my confidence was really coming on.
Last night I booked my first lesson and was excited about showing him off to my instructor. Got tacked up no probs and got on him he seemed a bit tense but it was cold. Asked for trot and he really didn’t want to and kept hunching up, I put a bit of pressure on and he put in a couple of fairly decent bucks. I really rode him on and he wouldn’t go and stood up and spun round. I got off!

I put him on the lunge and he belted round for a couple of mins bucking like mad before he settled and trotted and he looked stiff over his back and short on the outside hind. I guess he’s hurt his back?

Predictably his owner was actually on the plane to Oz while this was happening. Timing or what?! I’ve sent her an email to ask her advice and see if anything like this has happened before.

I did call another friend who knows the horse well and she said she thinks I was uptight cos I knew the owner was really gone as she was on the plane and that I was left with the horse on my own. I think that sounds like rubbish cos I was actually pretty excited to be left with this horse, yes I was anxious about it as he’s precious to his owner but at the same time he’s a fab opportunity for me.
I’ve had him 2 months now and he just doesn’t do that sort of crazyness, and I know from knowing him over the years he doesn’t do that sort of thing, even if I was a bit stressy. He’s the sort who’d look after you if you’d had a bad day. He really is a lovely genuine chap.

So I’ve given him a sachet of bute and he can have a rest for a couple of days, going to lunge on Sunday and see how he’s moving. My backlady can come next week and see him.

Anyone else got experience of an otherwise placid lovely horse going out of its mind like this and why did it happen? I won’t lie he scared the pants off me, my confidence isn’t what it was as I sadly lost my amazing horse last year after almost 10 years and I’ve hardly sat on anything else in a decade!

Poor chap. Feel sorry for him that he had to go to such lengths to tell me he was in pain.

Thanks for reading! x

 

[Wagtail]

Yes, and sadly mine was found to have kissing spines. He never once bucked or reared with me except for one time. That was enough for me to get the vet in and ask for back xrays (as he had also been girthy). But only the once did he explode with me. It was just like you say, he was reluctant to go forwards then sort of bunched up and when I insisted, he exploded bucking, rearing and spinning before coming to a halt and trembling. I got off! I did try him a couple more times after that but got off as soon as I felt the warning signs of him tensing up.

So even though it's unlikely your boy has the same thing, it was definitely a pain reaction, not behavioural from what you describe.

 

[seoirse]

Wagtail, I'm SO sorry to hear about your horse. Ironically the friend who dismissed this as me being worked up actually had to retire her best horse through kissing spines quite recently!

I'm pretty sure its pain, infact I'm totally sure. I've emailed the owner, mainly cos I know she'd rather know as she adores this horse, and also just to check if its something thats happened before, like his pelvis goes out or whatever but I'm pretty sure she'd have told me. He's got a cut on his face so I think he's most likely been looning about in the field and slipped and hurt himself. He's got some pretty crazy friends over the fence.

I'm so gutted though.

 

[Wagtail]

Wagtail, I'm SO sorry to hear about your horse. Ironically the friend who dismissed this as me being worked up actually had to retire her best horse through kissing spines quite recently!

I'm pretty sure its pain, infact I'm totally sure. I've emailed the owner, mainly cos I know she'd rather know as she adores this horse, and also just to check if its something thats happened before, like his pelvis goes out or whatever but I'm pretty sure she'd have told me. He's got a cut on his face so I think he's most likely been looning about in the field and slipped and hurt himself. He's got some pretty crazy friends over the fence.

I'm so gutted though.

I think your plan of giving him a few days off with some bute is a good idea. Sometimes very minor things can be very painful even though they are not serious and soon clear up. If he is still tense the next time you get on him, don't push him forwards, get off and get the vet, or if you have a good physio, get them to have a look at him. I have to mention though, that I had the vet, the chiro, and the physio take a look at my boy and none of them said he had a sore back! I had to insist on xrays. I think his pain was more of a shooting pain rather than a generalised soreness which is much more difficult to detect.

 

[seoirse]

Thanks for your advice. I'll see how he goes over the weekend, and into next week. Hopefully its just something minor thats made him very sore. I certainly won't be pushing him if he doesn't seem right next time I sit on him! We've got a great physio and chiro locally so I can see what they say if it doesn't sort itself out and of course I'll get the vet too if he needs it. Poor horse.
Thanks again. I'll post again next week with an update.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Good luck. Certainly sounds like pain to me. Trust your instincts would be my advice - I know it's harder when it's early days with a new horse

My horse started bucking over his ears he was eventually diagnosed with chronic sacro illiac dysfunction.

 

[seoirse]

Good luck. Certainly sounds like pain to me. Trust your instincts would be my advice - I know it's harder when it's early days with a new horse

Yeah, you are right, my gut definitely says there's something wrong with him.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Another thing to look at is painful but short term - maybe something has been pulled, tweaked when getting up from rolling or from assing about in the field?
Maybe something as simple as a bad bruise on the spinal area?

Worth considering any of the above if this is a sudden change to horse?

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

I'm sure horses do it on purpose some times! Was your new instructor suitably impressed?!

 

[seoirse]

Another thing to look at is painful but short term - maybe something has been pulled, tweaked when getting up from rolling or from assing about in the field?
Maybe something as simple as a bad bruise on the spinal area?

Worth considering any of the above if this is a sudden change to horse?

I'm hoping it is something fairly simple and minor like you mention. Definitely a sudden change, he's been amazing for 2 months and I rode on Monday and he was on superb form. Even manged to canter figure of eight in the indoor school with a flying change in the middle which for me is pretty mega.

My poor instructor has been with me through the last 18 months which have been a total disaster horse wise prior to getting this one so I think she could have just wept for me when it all went pear shaped last night!

Poor horsey, just hope he hasn't done any major damage.

 

[Frankie10]

My horse did Exactly this. I was also having a lesson with my instructor- i quickly got off& she was pretty sure he had pulled a muscle high up on quarters rolling in the field. My physio confirmed it& a week later he was absolutely fine! I think he had slid in the wet muddy fields when rolling/ getting up from a roll.
Don't panic!! Get the physio out and then vet if needed but don't automatically assume the worst
X x