Cold start
QWhat does it mean if a horse is cold-backed — and what can you do about it?
Roxanne Mulholland, Cambridgeshire
Stuart says: Being ‘cold-backed’ is a catch-all term that means a horse is experiencing pain or discomfort in their back that makes them sensitive, particularly when saddling up (especially tightening the girth), being mounted from the ground or groomed. When ridden they can also show stiffness or bucking prior to, or during, their warm up. The sensitivity tends to subside after the horse’s muscles are fully warm.
Despite it being a generalised term, a cold-backed horse should be taken seriously and the problem investigated by a vet, as it’s often a sign that something is wrong — whether it be saddle fit, poor rider posture or a conformation issue.
Steps you can take
First, check your saddle fit and get the advice of a professional, fully trained saddle fitter (turn the page for how to find someone who can help). This is a common cause of discomfort and, if caught early enough, can be easily remedied.
Next, ask an expert to check your riding posture and determine whether it could be contributing to the problem. But, most importantly, seek advice from your vet. Your horse could have increase mobility and strength along the horse’s topline. To facilitate this, sometimes medication can be used. Often a skeletal muscle relaxant can be given orally, which will help maintain a nice rounded outline. This can be used alone or in combination with anti-inflammatory injections between the spinous processes or along the muscles of the back.
Conservative medical treatment can often yield impressive results. But, in some cases, surgery remains a useful option and is designed to widen the spaces between the spinous processes. This is commonly done now in the sedated, standing horse, so avoiding the need for general anaesthesia. misalignment in his pelvis or spine, kissing spines (see below for more on this) or muscle weaknesses that may cause the horse to dip or hollow through his back, leading to pain and discomfort.
If all other issues are ruled out, it may be that your horse is grumpy until he is warmed up! If this is the case, accommodations can be made — including tightening the girth slowly over a number of minutes, saddling up early and walking your horse in-hand until he has loosened up, or lungeing him for a while before you mount, and only mounting from a mounting block.