Sore back

[maisiemoo]

My 14.3 irishx mare who is 7 has always had a habit of yanking on the reins but recently this has become worse. i have had her teeth checked and her saddle has been fitted by a master saddler, the vet looked at her last dec and could find nothing obvious. twice this week i have had to dismount as after half an hour of being ridden she starts tossing her head and throwing her head down and low, also her withers twitch and she seems to drop her hind quarters, friends riding behind say her back was twitching behind the saddle. On the lunge she appears fine it seems to only be a problem to her when ridden. Any thoughts from anyone ? . I have the vet coming out tomorrow and the back lady booked for April .

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Before you said she didn't do it on the lunge I was thinking classic headshaker. It might be worth exploring this possibility as posts on the Forum seem to indicate that the headshaker season has started. Headshaking is a spectrum disorder, so at the lowest end the horse would just stop occasionally to rub a sweaty nose on a foreleg. Then there are a thousand different levels in between and at the highest end the horse is dangerous and unrideable. Classic symptoms can include (obviously!) headshaking, snatching at the reins, twitching, tics, stamping a foot and a host of other stuff.

 

[Hels_Bells]

When did you last have the saddle checked?? If your horse has lost or gained condition since it was fitted it may be that the saddle is not fitting right any more and causing discomfort. My horse came to me as "un-rideable" simply because of this. Master saddler had fitted a very expensive albion saddle but never been checked again and it was crippling him. He is now a poppet but a permanent headshaker, I have to change his gullet at least 3 times a year as he loses condition over winter and gains it over summer!!

 

[maisiemoo]

Saddle was checked last monday. vet has been today and found her to have a very sore back , plan is physio for 4-6 weeks, if that does'nt help then to x-ray, kissing spine was mentioned, cryed all morning , waited 20 years for the chance to get another horse and i share her with my 10 year old daugther, looking for comfort in the bottle of wine at the mo !