HORSING AROUND

By Dani Mc Neill

Protect Your Horse from Back Pain

Back pain in horses can be subtle or obvious and can manifest as shifting lameness or just a generally sour attitude. It can be tricky to diagnose and hard to relieve. Savvy owners put their efforts into preventing back pain in their horses, rather than trying to eliminate it once the discomfort sets in. Here are a few things to think about:

• Be sure the saddle fits well and the pads are in good condition. Many excellent articles address how to check your saddle for the best fit. If you still have doubts, ask an instructor or a more experienced rider to help you. Keep saddle pads clean, be sure they lie flat under the saddle without pushing down on the withers, and replace pads that become thin or worn. • Maintain a regular schedule of hoof trimming and shoe resetting (about every 4 to 6 weeks for most horses). Slight changes in the length or angle of the hooves can make a horse move differently, possibly stressing his back and legs. • Be sure your horse is in condition to do the work asked of him. Follow an exercise program that begins with short, easy workouts and progresses gradually to longer, more intense exercise sessions. Once your horse achieves the desired level of physical conditioning, work with him enough to maintain that level. Suddenly asking an out-of-shape horse for hours of work —even slow trail riding—is almost guaranteed to produce a sore back. • For young, older, excessively fat, or outof-condition horses, go slow and easy with exercise. These horses need to move, but they are more easily injured than fit horses who are at the peak of their athletic careers. • Pay attention to early signs of back pain and give your horse a few days off before resuming regular work. A short break might be all that is necessary for a minor injury to resolve. • In ridden horses, the rider’s position and ability may also affect the horse’s back. Consider having your riding evaluated by a qualified, professional trainer. An instructor may spot faults you aren’t aware of, and simply correcting your position might make it much easier for your horse to balance your weight and ward off back injuries. • Ask a veterinarian to check your horse if back pain seems to be at all severe or lasts more than a few days. Most serious back pain won’t go away by itself unless you change what you’re doing (saddle, exercise program, riding style) and also get veterinary assistance. • Some horses that exhibit back soreness may be sore elsewhere as well (such as in hocks or stifles) and may move abnormally to protect that area. This unnatural carriage may result in back soreness. It is important to determine if the horse is experiencing primary back soreness or whether it is secondary to joint discomfort elsewhere.

Nothing frustrates horse owners and veterinarians as much as back pain in horses. Because of the wide variety of causes—as well as the wide variety of clinical signs and therapeutic options—back soreness in horses can be a diagnostic challenge and a treatment dilemma. Fortunately, there are a few veterinarians who seem to be able to successfully navigate these waters, so let’s launch a better understanding of horse back pain from them.

WHAT CAUSES IT?

According to some veterinarians, the majority of back problems are bony in nature, but are always combined with soft tissue damage. While ligament or muscle soreness may be the primary culprit in some cases, causes of the more common bone pain include “kissing spine”, arthritis of the articular facets between vertebrae, spondylosis (ossification, or bone formation of vertebral joints), and fracture of bony structures in the spine.

Some veterinarians say that back pain due to hock lameness, poor saddle fit and behavioural issues are all myths. Others insist that certain disciplines, rider imbalance, ill-fitting tack, poor conformation, unsatisfactory shoeing, lack of conditioning, and even poorly fitting blankets, can all lead to soreness in the back, proving just how challenging diagnosis and treatment can be. What does it look like? The following are signs of back pain in horses: • Objecting to being saddled • Being slow to warm up • Becoming difficult to shoe • Developing a bad attitude • Resisting work • Displaying abnormal tail swishing • Initiating uncharacteristic behaviour (such as bolting or running away)

Specific signs pointing to “kissing spine” are back stiffness, reduced jumping ability, resistance to work, change of temperament and resentment of grooming or picking up the hind feet. “Kissing spine” occurs most often in young thoroughbreds or thoroughbred-crosses with short backs used primarily for jumping. Show jumpers appear to be the most commonly affected, although eventers and hunters suffer from this condition as well.

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?

Identifying a change in performance or personality as back pain, then pinpointing the primary cause of this back pain, can be a veterinary diagnostic challenge. Step one is obtaining a detailed history from the owner and/or rider that includes when a problem was first noticed, exactly what the problem is, and what has already been done to try and resolve the problem. Step two is a comprehensive physical examination that includes visual inspection, palpation and assessment of the horse’s flexibility and ranges of motion. Next, the veterinarian will perform a lameness examination in motion. That means that the vet will evaluate the horse’s soundness and way of going while being walked and jogged in hand, being lunged and being ridden. Depending on the results of this initial work-up, the veterinarian may recommend diagnostic ging such as X-rays, ultrasound, bone scan (nuclear scintigraphy) and/or thermography.

The ideal treatment is one that addresses both bone and soft tissue, lasts four to six months, and is relatively inexpensive.

Examples of various treatments include: • Injecting corticosteroids into painful joints • NSAIDs to decrease inflammation • Muscle relaxants • Mesotherapy (a pain-dampening technique of injections that stimulate the mesoderm, the middle layer of the skin) • Chiropractic’s, acupuncture and therapeutic ultrasound • Ensuring proper saddle fit • Estrone sulphate to help improve muscle tone • Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) • Time off from performance in the case of trauma Unfortunately, any time there are this many treatment methods available, it means that nothing works consistently. The key thing to remember is that when treating back injury, owners are not only dealing with inflammation, but also pain. Therefore, treatment must break the pain/spasm cycle and motion must be restored--rest alone does the horse no favours.

Successful therapy involves rehabilitation of the back and re-evaluation within four to six weeks, and then again within three to four months. Research has shown that performing baited stretches (i.e., carrot stretches) regularly over a three-month period, can activate and strengthen the muscles that support and stabilise the horse’s back. These dynamic mobilisation exercises can be used to restore musculoskeletal function following injury, return the horse to maximal performance and reduce the risk of further injury in the future.

The good news is that in the hands of qualified sports medicine practitioners, the majority of horses with back pain returned to their previous level of exercise when diagnosed properly and treated aggressively.