What is a cold-backed horse?
Does the pain — wherever it is — go away as the horse works (and, if so, how?), or does warming up the muscles allows the horse to cope more easily with the pain? We simply don’t yet know, but there is little doubt that warmth, relaxation of muscle tension and repetitive gentle movements of joints all help a cold-backed horse to loosen up, move more freely and experience less discomfort.
Beyond the pathological causes (where there is a diagnosable lesion), some non-pathological reasons behind certain cold-backed horses also exist. Any restriction to normal free movement of the rib-sternum and rib-vertebra, or of the facet joints of the thoracic vertebrae in the spine, have the potential to cause a cold-backed horse.
The upside is that they are often correctable using chiropractic, osteopathy and other physical mobilisation techniques. Put simply, if you can restore normal free movement to the joint(s) in question, then the cold-backed behaviour resolves, sometimes for the long term. These dysfunctions, however, all produce local muscle spasm while they are present (and muscle spasms are uncomfortable), and so there is every chance that this group of horses are similarly demonstrating cold-backed behaviour due to the presence of pain.
8 ways to help a cold-backed horse
The following are various reasons why a horse could be cold-backed, plus tips to help make them more comfortable.
