what would you do? (TBS back??)

marley and danni

marley and danni

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Hi,

so i have a 7 year old TB that had raced untill 2009 but didnt have the stamina.

i have had him over 1.5 years now and hes been good to me and has never put a foot wrong. but in febuary he started playing up throughing bucks and not listening and running all the time and just felt awful so i put this down to a sore back as he was a little tender near his withers. so i gave him 2 months off and when he no longer reacted to any pressue on his back area then i started him back up again very slowly and hardly ay jumping....

so up till 5 weeks ago he was foot perfect and felt amazing! then he started doing the same things again but even worse and running out on jumps or rishing over them which is unusal... so i got the physio out last week (after giving 2 weeks off) to have a look she said she felt a little bit of tension through his back but not an awful lot and he hadnt really been reacting to any pressure put on his back and he enjoyed the therpy she gave him... so then...

she said to give him 2 days off gave me some streched to do then she said lightly school and hack for a week and lunge twice a week with a pessoa... so this is what i have been doing for a week. then go back to normal.. and not done more than 2 circits of canter on him and certainly no jumping....

but on sunday i gave him a bath and i touched his back and his muscles were pulsating and he dipped his back quote a bit when i put pressure on it... monday was better and tuesday were loads better (didnt ride in this time) so rang physio again and she said that it could be that the weathers not helping and his muscles are not warm enough to be working properly so causing discomfort... so on her advice i kept him warm before and after riding with hot water bottle on wed and he was awsome under saddle didnt put a foot wrong!

but..... i checked him over again with the pressue over his back with my figer not alot of pressure just a little and hi dipped his back again didnt have his ear back or anything but looked at me and dipped did this both side ofhis spine and same reaction....

so im at a loss physio said see how he goes for a while....

i was planning on schooling 20mins and hacking 1 hour in walk and trot a week and the rest lunging or days off for about 2-4 weeks to see if he improves....

oh also had hios saddle checked 3 times and fits fine also his teeth have been done and hes uptodate with worming and jabs! and is eating perfectly fine :)

what would you do?

thanks

Just concerned and wondering whats upw ith him if anything....
 
I think I'd be asking a vet to look at him to be honest, better knowing what you are actually dealing with if anything. :)
 
try a different physio?

who did you use..?

When mine have been done they are given two weeks off - totally in hand stretching and NO riding...

i know myself when ive had my back done with physio it flipping hurts and you dont want people prodding you let alone putting a saddle on and riding.


If your still in doubt use a different physio or get the vet out...

dont just "see how it goes" not fair on your horse

:)
 
hi the vet told me to get physio out sorry should have mentioned that :)

i though because she didnt sound worried and had told me to see how he goes that this would be ok but im just constantly worried. i may try a different physio... he doesnt do anything in relation to being saddled or having girth tightend and he doesnt react when i mount or when ridden i just find it odd that hes sore when i run my finger down his back :S

has any one had this experience before?
 
Well my first response would be to say get the vet. However if the vet has said get a physio, then I would be looking to find someone else. Different people can spot different things, so a fresh set of eyes may just help.

How about trying a mctimoney person and a bowen person? Neither will do any harm. I would also be looking to have thermal imaging done of the back and saddle fit.
 
hio thanks for the reply :)

yes i think i may use a different physio like you said fresh pair of eyes...

i dont like not knowing and liek others have said people on my yard said that they ussually get told not to ride for a while if they have been treated so unsure why she treated him then let me ride 2 days later.....

im guessing this is uncommon?

thanks
 
Different therapists will say different things. Also depends on what they have had done to them, and what your set up is (ie stabled or out 24/7).
 
I would use a different physio. I used one physio who said that there was nothing wrong with my horse and then got another one who found quite a lot of muscle problems in her back,and she treated her and she has been good ever since. She came out three weeks after the initial consultation, then 6 weeks after that and will now come out every 12 weeks. As far as I know, she comes from Cheshire area. Who did you use? (initials only will be fine and then I know if it's the same one I use). :)
 
I have used a lady called Amanda Rothwell who runs AR Equine Therapy I think she is classed as an equine body worker and she was great. She looked at the whole horse and spotted some things that previous physio had missed.
I would happily recomend her to people.
My only other thought was how hard are you pressing as some tbs are just rather sensitive skinned. I used to look after one that you could only brush with a very soft body brush.
 
I'd be getting a different saddler and a different physio.

If neither of those get results you'll have no choice but to go the vet/xray/bone scan route i'd have thought.

Fingers crossed you get to the bottom of it before the vet investigation option.
 
I'd have the back x-rayed - and then go from there. Before I had my ex-racer x-rayed, I spent nearly a year being bucked off, while vets, physios, saddlers and other 'experts' speculated, accepted my money, sold me products and gave me exercises and work schedules to try.

I requested that we x-ray him, (as my vet didn't think he showed symptoms of KS), and it was then that we discovered my horse did have KS, with 7 impingements.
 
I would agree with Amy and consider his feet as the source of the problem. How do his feet look? Is he flat footed? has he shown any shortness of stride? does he walk out as well as you would expect a horse of his size / build to? Grass is V rich this year and even TBs can get lami - he might just be feeling very mild effects and the tension this causes will show itself in the back.

Apart from this - Have you had the same saddle fitter out each time? If so, try a different one.
 
Hi thanks for all the replys the vet said he just seems cold backed as she cnt feel anything same as what physio said iv spoken with farrier and he said feet r the best they have looked.... And his strides are normal he doesnt favir Ny legs over the other and iv had two diff fitters out and the tbird was physio she checked the fit for me... Physio suggested that he could be cold backed also and she said he appeard to be quite sensative.........

Its a weird one because i can brush him soft or hard and he doesnt do Nything gwt chucked on bare bk i can put preasure on woth ky hand amd hes perfect ita only when i put my finger nail along his spine.... And when cold water is applied ..... Thanks xx
 
My lad buckles if cold water thrown on him and i think that's perfectly acceptable i wouldn't like it, i don't think that it self means anything wrong. The nail along spine same thing i think if someone did it to you if ur spine quite easy to feel you would move away - i do iv had it tried. Is he sore either side or just on top? Is he still good to ride and your just being extra cautious?
As for time off 2 days is perfectly normal in all honesty leaving for 2 weeks is actually too long you have to use muscles once released unless its been a serious session then 5 days off would be plenty. Ideally you want out for 48 hours off to allow for soreness o settle then first 2 weeks straight lines and simple things introducing bend slowly towards the end- same as with people.
 
marley and danni said:
Hi thanks for all the replys the vet said he just seems cold backed as she cnt feel anything same as what physio said iv spoken with farrier and he said feet r the best they have looked.... And his strides are normal he doesnt favir Ny legs over the other and iv had two diff fitters out and the tbird was physio she checked the fit for me... Physio suggested that he could be cold backed also and she said he appeard to be quite sensative.........

Its a weird one because i can brush him soft or hard and he doesnt do Nything gwt chucked on bare bk i can put preasure on woth ky hand amd hes perfect ita only when i put my finger nail along his spine.... And when cold water is applied ..... Thanks xx
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mine was perfect when brushing etc - mine only reacted when fingernail on spine - I pushed for referral - 8 impinging spinous processes! - Go for xray.
 
marley and danni said:
he was awsome under saddle didnt put a foot wrong!

but..... i checked him over again with the pressue over his back with my figer not alot of pressure just a little and hi dipped his back again didnt have his ear back or anything but looked at me and dipped did this both side ofhis spine and same reaction....
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Deleted - ignore me...
 
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If the vet referred to physio and the physio has been unable to solve it, physio should have referred you back to the vet for further investigations by now. I'd be wanting an x ray, I don't think it's an acceptable method of treatment to just 'give it time and see what happens' since you've already tried this approach and it didn't work. I also sometimes wonder how many horses that are classed as 'cold backed' have infact got some degree of kissing spine.
 
I aggree with those who have said you need the vet to do a work up now ,something is going on and the back pain may be a secondary to the main issue.
 
From what i read it does seem physio solved actual problem this is just minute things which op appears to have noticed since being aware of back issue. Correct me if Im wrong!
I do agree he maybe sensitive or it maybe he has had pain for a while and now dips as a learnt reaction- totally aware most will disagree but im with physio give 4 weeks of gentle hacking and minimal schooling large circles only no smaller than 20m at most and see how he goes with as much turnout as possible-24/7.i had same issue with my boy post physio after a month he was no longer dipping away and now 6 moths later is fine to prod, maybe i should have x rayed but he is happy and no issues so im glad i waited. Unless the riding issue appears again or another symptom occurs.
 
MissMincePie&Brandy said:
I'd have the back x-rayed - and then go from there. Before I had my ex-racer x-rayed, I spent nearly a year being bucked off, while vets, physios, saddlers and other 'experts' speculated, accepted my money, sold me products and gave me exercises and work schedules to try.

I requested that we x-ray him, (as my vet didn't think he showed symptoms of KS), and it was then that we discovered my horse did have KS, with 7 impingements.
Click to expand...

Ditto this. Same sort of symptoms a horse I had displayed before I knew he has kissing spines.
 
Hi thanks for replys well i maybe thought kissings a little while ago but vet doesnt think so and neither does physio... Hes not doing it when i brush or place my hand with pressie or run my hand over his back just with my fingernail or a striff brush or cold water .... He diesnt do anything when i put saddle on or girth up he doesnt even look at me and physio assured me she thinks hes ok as he didnt have much wrong other than he had a lottle tension over his back and that fater few days off i can start off light work and biuld my way bk up.... He seems quite free moving when ridden and in hand no short strides and hes even in his strides and no unussual stiffness other than 2 back legs when he firat cme oit of his stable but hes always been like that since out of racing.... Hismuscles look pretty even except the left side of his wihers is slightly more muscle but now hes back in work ill work on this at least ubtill i can see somthing wring.... Maybe im being iver cautious as hes put on loads ofnweight now too and he seems so much happier xx
 
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