Page 94 - August 2022

VETERINARY VIEWS
Bucking
A horse with back pain may demonstrate:
Refusal of fences
Resentfulness with normal grooming
collection work. Not all horses with kissing spines • Short-strided and unwilling to extend the gaits A soundness exam is critical to identify a demonstrate back pain or performance problems. • Failure to pick up or hold correct canter leads lameness issue in any of the four limbs and
In one study, over half the horses with demonstrable back pain had problems localized to the sacroiliac region. About 20 percent had hind limb lameness as the primary problem while the other 30 percent experienced a variety of problems such as kissing spines, withers injuries, muscle pain and strain, or injury to the dorsal spinous ligament.
Equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) is a metabolic disease that causes muscle aches and pains, and signs similar to tying-up syndrome. Some horses affected with PSSM may demonstrate signs comparable to a horse with true back pain. Also, although exertional rhabdomyolysis as experienced with exercise generally affects muscles of the hindquarters, it can also impact muscles anywhere in the body, including the back and loins. Even in a mild form, an affected horse moves with a very stiff and stilted gait, if he is willing to move at all. It possible to confuse tying up with back pain, or some instances, the back may also be in spasm.
WHAT SIGNS MIGHT A HORSE DEMONSTRATE WITH BACK PAIN?
• Reactions from a horse experiencing back
pain are varied and some are exacerbated by
a specific athletic pursuit:
• Generalized poor performance
• Poor development of musculature of the topline
Lack of impulsion
• Bucking especially during upward transitions
• “Cold backed” when saddled, the girth is
tightened, and/or when mounted – the horse acts overly sensitive, may shy away from saddle placement, pin ears or bite when the girth is tightened, or drop his back and body when the rider mounts. Some horses without back pain are temperamentally resentful of saddling and mounting.
• Resentful of normal grooming – some individuals are just sensitive and not necessarily experiencing back pain
• Stiff movement
• Rigidity of the topline and lack of swing in
the haunches
• Decreased limb flexion of the hocks or stifles • Toe dragging of rear limbs
• Wide than normal foot placement in hind
limb gaits
• Reluctance to back up with or without toe
dragging of front limbs
• Difficulty in collection or negotiating hilly
terrain (up or down the hills) that requires
engagement of the hind end and back muscles • Refusals or running out at fences
• Resistance to, or failure to, collect
• Elevated head carriage with the neck “upside
down,” which flattens or hollows the back • Behavioral problems – agitation,
grumpiness, tail swishing or wringing,
pinning the ears, head tossing
• Resentment to farrier work on the hind feet • Resistance in the bridle
• Teeth grinding
• Rearrangement of stall bedding to
accommodate the most comfortable standing position – this can occur with any number of problems including hind limb pain, not just back pain
IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM
To get to the source of the problem, call
in your veterinarian to help identify a painful cause. Careful evaluation of muscle symmetry of the back and haunches helps to locate an area of concern. The ability of the horse to extend (raise) his back is tested by pushing with finger pressure beneath the abdomen and seeing if the horse will lift his back to this pressure.
Primary back pain may cause secondary limb lameness because the horse fixes its back in a more rigid state, causing the hind limbs to trail behind. This often puts an inordinate amount
of stress on hind limb joints in their attempt to move the legs forward and under the horse.
feet that may also be affecting back comfort. Limb flexion tests and hoof tester examination help with this assessment. Observation of the horse at rest and in motion is important. The soundness exam should be done both without and with a rider on board. Saddle fit should be evaluated, particularly with the rider mounted.
Palpation along the back muscles and
the tops of the spinous processes may yield important information. Your veterinarian
is often able to identify if the horse is experiencing a boney or soft tissue problem in the back, or both. In capable hands, assessment of specific acupuncture points can be an aid
in the diagnostic workup. In general, damage within the vertebral bones tends to occur more in the middle of the back while soft tissue injury of ligaments and muscles occurs in the more forward or rear portions of the back.
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Careful evaluation of muscle symmetry of the back and haunches can help locate areas of concern.
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In capable hands, assessment
of specific acupuncture points can aid in the diagnostic workup.
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