Do I have just have the worst luck or am I cursed?!?! .... mostly a rant about my horses and their issue?

I have probably the most unique case of saddle soreness in the history of all the horses everywhere. I just don't under stand this, and neither do the 11 vets. In Jan, I'm having another specialist out to look at them both.


My gelding has been off of all work since April of LAST YEAR, and he STILL cannot be touched by hand along his withers and girth area, and cannot tolerate having his legs stretched out in front for stretches.


My mare has not been ridden since last Dec., expect for a few rides in June %26amp; July before she ';broke'; again. She's been doing well, and last week, I got on her bareback and had hubby lead me around 2 times. 4 days ago, I wanted to do the same thing and I couldn't even put my leg over her back she was so sore - so incredibly painful to touch on the left side mid back. She's very sore over accupuncture points, and also isn't fond of front leg stretches.


She's been getting worked in hand %26amp; long lined from time to time, but she is not comfortable....Do I have just have the worst luck or am I cursed?!?! .... mostly a rant about my horses and their issue?
I feel sorry for you! What rotten luck you're having.


If the saddle has been fitted properly and fits both horses, then it's not the fit that's the problem. Perhaps the problem is in the saddle. One of my teachers, a veterinarian told my class that she treated a thoroughbred racer for a bad wither/back problem where he was hurting whenever he was ridden. It turned out that the structure of the exercise saddle being used on him and the other horses was made of steel, and the steel was cutting into his withers, causing the pain. So perhaps there's something wrong with your saddle internally, something that's causing pain to the horses' back.


At first I thought it may have been a pinched nerve, but that ma not be likely if both horses have it, and surely a vet would have picked up on it. Your horses might be suffering from Spondylitis. A sign of Spondylitis is that when at rest, the horse is fine, but when worked again the horse exhibits irritability, abnormal sensitivity when being saddled and back pain.


I hope you find out what's causing your horses' problems.Do I have just have the worst luck or am I cursed?!?! .... mostly a rant about my horses and their issue?
first of all...


IM REALLY SORRY!!


try getting your saddles fitted, like bring your horse over in a trailer to your tack shop and have the person put the saddle on that you like and make sure it fits. if that is too expensive for many reasons, then you can buy special saddle pads to help.


im really sorry again!
i'm praying for you guys... only thing we can do at this point!





oh my goodness! that is really strange. just now i've thought of this... is your saddle pad to thin, doesn't give enough support, or your saddle's tree is just too ';stiff'; for them and gives an unpleasant feeling? i recommend a wonpad http://wonpad.com/wonpad.htm , 1 inch thick size. or try a treeless saddle maybe? i have no idea. this is the weirdest thing i've ever heard of. or maybe your horses are just really stiff from not being worked for such a long time? i'm stumped.
So bad luck


1 of my horses (because the saddle didn't fit) almost broke its back i couldn't belive it n even if she is in pain undoo the rope turn ur back on her n walk away let her calm down then come back 2 her with a apple n try again. o make the sessions fun not serious LOL
I am so sorry and hope they get better real soon. I'll be prayin for them and you.


Good Luck!
try a specialist... like a chiropractor instead of just a vet.





2 things I can comment on:


1st, bareback really isn't good for their backs... your mare probably would have done better if you put a lot of padding between the two of you when you tried to ride her.


2nd, since it sounds wierd that they would be having such trouble from saddle soreness, look for other causes. there's a horse at my barn that was having trouble with his back and we found out that it was from his kidneys... their kidneys are up by their backbone and they hurt and it really hurt him when we rode him. So get a full check... i know that's expensive, but you might find the cause.





I'm sorry that both of your horses are having such trouble. I hope you fix it soon.








I was just saying that in the long run, bareback will make your horses worse, not better. It's better to ride in a saddle. I don't know if the short time you were on her mattered, but I would have used a saddle. My horse had a sore back because these girls at the barn kept riding her bareback and my barn manager didn't stop them until it was too late. she took 2 months of stall rest and she's finally coming around... but there's no way I'm riding her without a saddle and a couple of thick pads. ----- I wasn't being rude to you... if you don't want answers, then don't ask the question.
* hugs*





You have done everything I would of.





I am there also with a show mule that is highly valuable but bucking under saddle due to hating being ridden anymore and wants to solely be driven.





The only difference is the saddle he has now, fits, 100% fits, vet tested. He doesn't test out sore either on pressure spots.





Have they ultrasounded the backs to check for abcesses? I would. There are times that subtle benign tumors, almost dermoid but not, are present. Its not a common thing, but worth checking into and ultrasound again can help spot those.





Other than that, I am so sorry girl, I really am. I would check into a nuclear medicine scan to see if theres any subtle arthritis or something that would show up. Just racking my brain and typing out loud :)





EDIT- the myelograms really aren't that bad. Before CT, I used to work on them all the time. It just depends on if they think its pinched nerve vs some kinda pathology. Does she have any neuropathy, or test out with weakness etc? Any muscle wasting?
i have looked at all of my notes and old books about animal husbandry and cant come up with anything except a herniated disk or a bone spur on a vertibre pinching a nerve.have you done a pinch test on his vertibre by puting pressure with your finger between the vertibre untill the horse dissagrees with where you put pressure.i dont know what type of ridding you do or what saddle you use but the only other thing i can think of is your horses are backbitting each other causing them pain and likley chipping their vertibre.
I had a problem similar to this with my mare. after a thorough exam of my saddle I found a staple poking through the fleece. It must have been worked loose from the tree, as it wasn't there when i bought the saddle and I have been using it for a couple of years on many trail rides. I always examine my tack carefully and was very surprised to find it. If your saddle is fitted properly and no objects can be found to cause an irritation, I may suggest having samples taken from your pasture. to see if your grass is to rich. usually in the spring I often have to take my horses off their pasture grass, as it may cause them to founder, and we all know how bad that can be
I can sympathize.





Some of the old fashioned Herefords were bad about this. Occasionally you would get one with too big a knot in back holding the two skirts together. Then when you ride the knot would press down on the back bone and cause problems. The saddle appeared to fit fine. Met and laid flush in all the right places. However when you sat in it the knot would put pressure on the spine at the back of the saddle.





The first horse that happened to we thought another horse had bit her. A piece had been chipped off her vertebrae. It did not seem to bother her and since another horse constantly tried to bite her there we assumed that was the cause. However after herd dynamics settled down (the reason the two had been fighting is the alpha mare had been sold) we changed which horse the saddle was put on and low and behold another knot in the same place. After putting the saddle on I discovered its location coincided with the knot. I then took the top skirts and cut out a U so that the knot went up instead of being pushed down into the horse. It never gave any more trouble.





Anyway I hope your horse gets feeling better, and I would take that saddle out and use it for target practice. At least some good would come of it then. Or maybe you could make a kids swing out of it.
wow that sucks! 11 vets and still no answers? How strange. I feel for you.


Add on- I have been thinking about this post for the last 24 hours trying to rack my brain for suggestions. Here is what I have come up with- Do you blanket your horses? I have an old Mustang that when I blanket him, his withers become very sore if the blanket is left on for more then 12 hours. I can't figure out what causes it, I am thinking the way they ride on him it must cut off circulation or something. It doesn't matter what brand of blanket. Next- are your horses let out? If it is a skin problem or even a protein problem the sunlight really helps keep those things in check. Lastly- I was working for a large stable recently and I couldn't get over how often and how many horses got cast in stalls. I mean everyday someone was getting cast. The horses became very stressed sometimes they got out of it, other times you needed to assist them, but they would get sore from it. Not sure if any of this helps, but I can't get your problem out of my mind.