Would you buy a horse that was cold backed?

[claracanter]

Hi,
Going to a view a horse this week that sounds ideal but is ‘ cold backed’ This raises a red flag to me but I know nothing about this condition. Please tell me the good and the bad. Can’t help thinking this could lead to problems down the line or can they get over it? Thanks in advance

 

[JBM]

Personally wouldn’t

 

[poiuytrewq]

No I wouldn’t. Just one of those things, why when it’s not necessary. So many horses aren’t cold backed. I just wouldn’t want the potential hassle

 

[Nasicus]

Nope, some may disagree, but to me cold backed says 'Somethings wrong with it, we just haven't investigated or found the cause and fixed it'.

 

[TPO]

I have knowingly. The seller was very upfront and honest. Horse passed 5 stage vetting and vet was aware that she could be "cold backed".

At the time I was a capable "sticky" rider with bags of confidence (stupidity?).

Had vets/physio/chiro/saddle fitters etc involved from the get go, including a work up in hospital. They didn't find anything and hospital said that her back was very healthy and xrays clear etc. Seller bred her and apparently she'd always been reactive the first few times saddled then fine.

I couldnt have done anymore to find a cause and I loved the bones of her.

Having said all that I would never advise knowingly buying an undiagnosed problem.

Don't even waste your time viewing. Cold backed covers so much and there is usually a physical reason.

 

[Caol Ila]

Nope. It usually suggests a problem.

 

[Maryann]

I rode a lovely horse for some people that had a 'cold back'. It turned out he had serious issues but was so genuine he masked them most of the time.

 

[AmyMay]

Nope

 

[SEL]

I own two - one has PSSM and the other kissing spine. The KS pony just has to be mounted gently and allowed to walk off but the PSSM mare could bronc for a few strides on a bad day

With both of those I could mask the issue by riding them earlier in the day btw. Neither have the issue when they are warmed up.

 

[claracanter]

Thanks for all the replies. You have reinforced my gut feeling. I’m cancelling the viewing

 

[spacefaer]

We had one on loan who was absolutely amazing in every way but was intermittently cold backed (usuallyhe hadn't been sat on for more than a couple of days ) he was irritating as you had to have someone hold his head up to make sure he didn't deck you as. You landed in the saddle.

The other one we had we bought from a sale. And thank every God there is that I lunged her before getting on the first time. She rodeoed like she'd never seen tack before. It had been declared but made light of. She would have killed me if I'd got on her on concrete

So personally, no I wouldn't buy one - I'm too old and broken and unless it's unbelievably special, there's plenty of horses who aren't cold backed who could do the same job

 

[SantaVera]

Yes I did and she was fabulous. I knew that she had had 12 months in the field due to sacro illiac injury. She was an arab racehorse. Turned out to be a great hack and endurance horse .

 

[sbloom]

Nope, some may disagree, but to me cold backed says 'Somethings wrong with it, we just haven't investigated or found the cause and fixed it'.

This. There is pain or a movement issue beneath every "cold back".

 

[ycbm]

I see you've cancelled and I think that's wise.

I would never knowingly buy one. I've had several in 45 years. The first had kidney failure. The second I suspect now had kissing spines but it wasn't "a thing" at the time. The third was operated on for congenital kissing spines behind the saddle.

 

[hock]

Nope, I wouldn’t take one for free either. Kissing spine, likely ulcers, compensatory problems, etc etc.

 

[christine456]

Was one on our yard 'cold backed' - would shoot off at mounting, bronc, rear. I suspect the horse had a back problem not identified..

 

[dominobrown]

Normally a problem somewhere. I did have one that was “cold backed” but actually it was just a sore back and bad saddle and fixed pretty quickly, though normally is would say problems like ks, ulcers, suspensories etc

 

[claracanter]

Thanks for all your replies. I now know a little about the condition and there’s plenty more horses ‘ in the sea’, as it were

 

[Zoeypxo]

Nope
One at my yard is cold backed it turned out to have ks and neck arthritis
(Found out After breaking the owners back)

 

[DabDab]

No

 

[McGrools]

No

 

[Flowerofthefen]

We had a PtoP horse. 17.3, absolutely stunning. Fabulous hack, hunter, lovely kind horse but he was terribly cold backed. He was sold as non of the grooms could stay on in the first few strides. We bought him and mounted him in a certain way. He always ran off but we got used to it. He raced, hunted teamchased and always seemed sound. I have no doubt now that if we looked into it we may have found an issue. This was 20 years ago.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Glad you've cancelled the viewing.
Being "cold backed " Indicates current or remembered pain , it is never just a behaviour.

 

[claracanter]

Glad you've cancelled the viewing.
Being "cold backed " Indicates current or remembered pain , it is never just a behaviour.

Yep, that was my gut feeling

 

[Melody Grey]

Nope, some may disagree, but to me cold backed says 'Somethings wrong with it, we just haven't investigated or found the cause and fixed it'.

My thoughts entirely as recently discussed in another ‘cold backed’ thread.

 

[Red-1]

No I would not, however I only know 2... One was sold from his job as an amateur eventer as he was too tricky to manage for the owner - he ended up with a pro who went to 4*. The other was an amateur's horse, once on (required to be allowed a quick scuttle for a few strides before you sat down, nothing more) she was sweet and did more for that person's confidence than you could believe. Stayed with them for a long life and retirement. BE 90s, very straightforward and forgiving. But no, not for me!

 

[Ahrena]

It depends on the extent.

I would describe my old mare as cold backed. I had her from unbacked so didn’t know prior to buying her. In her case, all it meant was she felt like a camel the first few strides after mounting and her back would be up. It was a little alarming at first as she definitely gave you the sense she was going to explode at any moment but she never did.

Sometimes if she was very fresh or it was cold, she would have her back up in canter to start with and occasionally buck a couple of times.

As a 5 year old, the bucking got worse and she had extensive work ups and there was nothing wrong with her. We sorted that by me learning to ride her huge unbalanced canter.

That wouldn’t put me off in the future. She gave me 10 happy years before I lost her in a field injury and it never ever caused me any problems.

If it presented in a way that the horse could explode if not lunged first or the physical element hadn’t been fully explored, it would put me off.