Wither pain

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TURBOBERT

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My chap suddenly reacted to a pain at the end of a lesson in an indoor school. It was as if he had been stung on the shoulder - kicking forward - twitching shoulder (still doing this) ears back, head shaking etc. - no insects apparent. This was two weeks ago - I have ridden him twice since then - both times he was very tense when I put the saddle on and did up the girth then for about 5 mins after mounting - also tense when I use a roller when lungeing. I have fixed up for a physio to come but not for another ten days!. The saddle and pad seem fine (saddle reflocked two years ago and seems to fit OK still). Anyone any ideas - he responds to pressure just below the spine on the LHS (about 2-3 ins) but is not lame.
 
Sounds similar to a friends horse a couple of years ago - was found to have fractured his wither - possibly from getting cast in the stable.

May be worth vet having a little look see????
 
Oh heck! He is out 24/7 and hasnt been cast. Also he isnt jumping with me - but he is learning changes - and he is 16 - so I am hoping someone might say that it sounds as though he's just tweaked something ---please--
 
Could he have rolled on a stone and bruised himself? Id be asking the vet to have a look given the amount of time he has been sore on it.
 
My boy started doing this after going for nerve blocks to his stifle. Vets deny 'anything untoward happening' but ended up getting very good physio out who came out and tweaked at is withers and is fine now. He did the agressive gonna kill you attitude and twitchy skin over withers and shoulders routine...
Good luck and hope he is ok. xx
 
Is there anything in his field he could have shot underneath perhaps? My mare has had broken withers in the past, and we were told they tend to either have gone over backwards or tried to go under something that was a fraction too low. A branch perhaps?
 
Well thanks for all that. I am sure he is improving. He still twitches but he is not as anxious when I put on the roller or press his back. He 'protects it on the lunge but only when I try to do small circles to the left when he is unlevel. The odd thing is it happened suddenly at the end of a 45 mins lesson so I think (hopefully) he has just tweaked something. Physio due in ten days now - so Ill wait I think unless it suddenly gets worse.
 
I would def wait for physio - mine behave totally out of character earlier this year and I got the vet, who found nothing. Chiropractor on the other hand found a muscle in spasm along the right hand side of his spine and that two of the lumbar vertebrate were rotated out of place. After one treatment he went back to his old self and has never repeated the behaviour. I have everything crossed it is just that simple for you.
 
Thanks SC. I think you are right - he was so nervous of me even rugging him up I think his muscle was in spasm - it is definitely easing - so I will wait for the physio. Thank you for that.
 
Hi if it helps my mare is suffering from a bit of pain in her withers/shoulders at the mo and I'm waiting for physio to come out. When I spoke to him he recommended that as he knows her very well it is probably just tense muscle and to use two old hot water bottles tied together and to drop these over her shoulders for 10 mins a day as it should help to ease the tension until he gets out to me.
 
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