Cold back
Cold back is a term used to describe a horse that displays
behaviours or has symptoms indicating back pain. Many
horses considered to be ‘cold backed’ respond
to saddle pressure by dipping or raising their backs.
Horses may show symptoms when the saddle is initially
put on or the rider first mounts and then after the back
muscles warm up symptoms disappear.
It is thought that the acute reaction seen in cold-backed
horses is caused by stimulation of sensitive nerve endings.
Such stimulation may be caused by an ill fitting saddle
or stretching of immobile or injured tissue.
Can Equissage help?
Yes it can.
However it is important in the first instance to eliminate
any obvious causes due to the saddle, chiropractic issues
(such as Kissing Spine), soreness triggered by a rider
sitting inaccurately over a period of time, incorrect
muscle development, etc. Even when all possible causes
have been ruled out, some horses remain "cold backed"
due to increased sensitivity in the saddle area. By using
Equissage to thoroughly warm the muscles of the back prior
to being ridden the well-known manifestation of the horse
instantly rounding its back when mounted can effectively
be ruled out. Even though such horses are routinely lunged
prior to being mounted to help release tension and stretch
the muscles, this does not always prevent a tentative
few moments under saddle as some horses do not relax enough
for this to be of benefit. However Equissage has the advantage
of reaching much deeper into the body and so having a
positive effect on the secondary layer of muscles as opposed
to just having an effect on the superficial layer, it
builds up uniform heat throughout the muscles as well
as working on all the muscles as a whole so that generally
the horse is more loose and relaxed - all without any
weight initially being placed on the back.
Application:
A routine 20 minute application (medium or higher setting
if the horse will allow) to act as a preliminary warm-up
prior to the horse being tacked up is all that is required
to manage this condition. As it is muscle that is the
target area, then a higher setting will be of more benefit
so as to provide a thoroughly therapeutic massage.
Point to note:
After working the horse or at the end of a hack, be sure
to allow a few minutes walking on a long rein encouraging
the horse to stretch and relax its back muscles - which
of course is all part of a good management routine anyway.
For more information please call 0800 072 1180,
email us at info@equissage.co.uk
or request a FREE TRIAL
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