Youngster bronking - cold backed?

kazg07

kazg07

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My younster who is coming up 4 has been wearing a roller and lunging fine for a couple of weeks and showed no initial reaction to this. However, the other day when i put it on he reacted severely as i attempted to tighten it (which i always do slowly and gently). He tensed up and took off bronking round the school on the end of the lunge line. He has done this a few times since but seems better when worked daily. He has had 3 days off due to me being away with my other horse and today he had another explosion. I feel that there is an underlying cause as he is a very sweet and gentle horse and seems genuinely upset about something. I have contacted my physio to come and check his back. Had a feel of his back and he is a bit twitchy around the withers. Just wondered if anyone has had any similar experiences or has any idea as to what the problem may be.
 
Well, I don't really have any advice but, if it helps I am going through very similar with mine. Sort of backed mine at the end of last year as a 3 yo (he was 4 this May) and literally sat on him a bit and lead him round. He never reacted to a saddle or anything.ed

Started hacking him out this year having had his backed checked and been given the ok as no back issues.

Took him to a little show to have alook around and ended up getting bronced off. He did it again a week later at another small show so I figured he was just out of his comfort zone.

Took him to an instructor who rode him for me (I couldn't ride after having hurt myself in my 2nd unplanned 'dismount'). Anyway, instructor figured he didn't seem 100% comfortable in his tack. A few days after the lesson I tried his saddle on just in the field (in hindsight maybe an error). I did have a headcollar on obviously but, after putting saddle on, I asked him to move and he flipped, bronced and then reared andlanded on me. Thankfully I was unhurt and he eventually calmed down enough for me to get near him and remove the saddle.

Roll on 4 weeks (yesterday), I take him back to instructor's yard I had told her what had happened and I thought the gurth may be the issue. We tried a tightened lunge line round his middle and she pulled it as she walked him round - no reaction. We put the saddle on, did up the girth (no reaction), she asked him to move and he jsut exploded again. It was pretty scary watching but thankfully she was prepared as had a longer lead rope on and knows what she's doing. He too is genuinely scared and reacting to pain as far as I can see.

we took stuff off, did some ground work so he calmed down. Her thoughts are there is something hurting his back when the saddle is tight. We put a saddle on him after and he walked round ok with it just resting on him.

I am know going to have his back checked all over again and I really hope this is something fixable. I feel like you do, they are not being 'bad' but something clearly hurts.

Essentially, I feel your pain and I suggest you too get your horse's back thoroughly checked over
 
Aaah hit send too quick! She was lame because of medial lateral imbalance of front feet and she was compensating through her back giving the impression she was cold backed...and she broncked!
 
Few questions - did the roller have a pad underneath? Is it a "dressagey type" girth on the roller? Does he do the same thing if you lunge in a saddle?

I can guarantee if Bud doesn't have a REALLY thick pad on and its not long enough to have the girth buckles comfortably on top (why I can't ride him in a dressage saddle) and I don't stretch his legs out, I have a bucking bronco, who quite frankly throws some impressive shapes! If i put a sheepskin pad on underneath, do the roller up very gradually (but I spend 10 minutes just walking and halting to warm up on the lunge) he's lovely.

If your boy doesn't throw these broncs as you get on I'd be surprised if he's cold backed and it's not more to do with the roller being uncomfortable with such a large amount of pressure being put in a small area.

Hope you get it sorted :)
 
callmelucky said:
Aaah hit send too quick! She was lame because of medial lateral imbalance of front feet and she was compensating through her back giving the impression she was cold backed...and she broncked!
Click to expand...

That's interesting. How did you discover that? Mine's only been shod twice and is only shod in front an this behaviour only started recently
 
So glad it's not just me who's had these issues!!

Long story but here we go...

Brought a 5yr old un handled cob from sales in Dec 2011.
He settled nicely, and within a couple of months he realised we didn't want to kill him. He had a bridle, saddle etc on with no problem what so ever.

Few months later he started exploding when being girthed. Ended up running riot round the yard nearly knocking people over.

So decide to let him mature for another 6 months or so....

Sept 2012 tried again with a lunging roller and has the same mad explosions.

Over the winter In 2012 we tried a some saddles and different girth on him and it seemed to do the trick. The broncing stopped and I even managed to lightly back him.

Decided to the turn him away until march time to grow up some more but then the broncing/explosions quickly started to happen again.

This month I just was at my wits end so have sent him away to a training yard to see what they thought.

Surprise surprise he hasn't bronced once and is apparently as good as gold, ready to come home in the next week or so.

I'm just praying he doesn't start it all again because it scares the hell out of me!!
 
If he's twitchy, I've always found my back person finds a problem which is easy enough to sort. No point guessing about any other issues until the back person has been as its the most logical concern to rule out.

One of mine used to be cold backed (was for the first 2.5 years I had him but then after feeding him NAF Superflex one winter, he stopped being so!). So I totally sympathise, he used to go rigid when I first got on and did explode broncing me off several times early on! Wasn't fun! I did find a thick sheepskin saddlecloth helped, could you try putting one of those on under the roller? You could also try lungeing him with nothing on for a while first to warm up, then try the roller?
 
He hasnt actually been sat on yet - am only at the lunging/long reining point with him. He is very sensitive and slightest thing puts him wrong so perhaps i should try some more padding under roller as just have a poly pad roller pad just now. Its strange as he was intially fine but just started this recently and he gets himself in a right panic ! I dont intend to do any more until i rule out any physical problems and have physio coming at end of week to check him out. I feel sorry for him as hes def not being badly behaved as is a saint to deal with in every other way. When it first happened i went back to lunging prior to putting roller on which was better and seemed to solve the issue for a while - might be something i will have to continue with. I am hoping he is not the same as his mum was as she used to hop, skip and jump about for the first five minutes after you got on !!
 
My five yr old started this thought he was trying it on !!! but my McTimoney lady sorted it so now he is done before hunting in between and when he finishes through the season, he is 14 now but also I changed my farrier as he was trimming too SHORT, and I changed my saddle he now has a Butet second hand from Sederholm selected who were great and my saddle will fit my new youngster when he's backed. Aslo I found the Equlibrium massage pad fabulas before I rode and now I don't have to use it so much now !! but when I used to get on I stood up in my Sturrups to take my self of his back, I also think they do remember (pain) !! and its took me a long time to sort out. I hope you get it sorted I would start with McTimony as they do the whole body not just parts. GOOD LUCK xx
 
Thanks

Yes i have used used a mctimoney practitioner in the past on my other horse and thought he was really good - will see what physio says first. Wont be doing any more with him until get it resolved though as he obviously hurt himself yesterday as is a little lame behind today - think it was all the acrobatics !!! Poor boy : (
 
Do you pull up the pad under the roller so it gives clearance same as you should do with a numnah and saddle? If it's only placed on the back with roller done up on top it's likely to be too tight and pull against him.
It might not be in this case but some just do have the devil in them when there is absolutely nothing wrong so you need to just let them get it out of their system and send them forward, don't assume that there is always something wrong; they very soon learn that if they do something that worries you that you're likely to stop doing it so it's a reward for them and they can go back to their peaceful life.
If horse is checked over properly with nothing found and you are absolutely sure that everything fits comfortably and is fitted properly, that no buckles are in a soft spot (as some of those short dressage girths tend to do especially as the horse brings the elbows back) that the groundwork has been done properly, that the horse is totally sound on the lunge without tack then I would be inclined to crack on and send them forward so that they learn that bucking is not an evasion you will tolerate.
 
She went lame on one leg and after further investigation we realise she was lame on both fronts....she prob had been all along. She had xrays of her feet and you could see it. you can actually see it without shoes...i just didnt know what i was looking for as id never heard of it. now i know what it is its obvious!
 
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