What helps a horse with a sore back?
Friday, July 28, 2023
By Jeri Lockwood
There are many reasons that a horse’s back can become sore from being saddled for long periods at a time, saddle not fitting properly, growing pains on the younger horses, in need of a chiropractic treatment, SI needing injections, etc. Billy Mayfield and Jeri Kay Lockwood, the owners of H & J CBD Equine Supplements and JKL Performance Horses, tell us that when their horses backs get sore, they go through a checklist of what the cause may be.
- What has the horse been doing in training, trail riding or in the pasture?
- When we run our fingers down the horse’s back does the horse flinch?
- When we run our fingers along the SI does the horse react?
- When we run our fingers in an upward motion up the cinch line does the horse flinch?
- Is the stifle swollen?
Depending upon the reaction, we consult our veterinarian who is also our equine chiropractor on the best remedy to cure the back pain. Many times, stall rest, rubbing good CBD liniment on the sore areas or giving your horse CBD as a natural way to alleviate the pain, using PMF therapy, or even acupuncture can help. If the horse flinches when you run your fingers up their cinch line, we immediately start the horses on an ulcer medication.
If your horse continues to have significant back pain, your veterinarian may suggest a direct injection of anti-inflammatory medications into your horse’s back or shockwave therapy. Also, a lameness exam would be in order.
When the horse’s back pain subsides, strengthening exercises to stabilize the muscles are in order. Carrot stretches or the real term dynamic mobilization are other proven therapies to strengthen the horses back pain. After a long day in the saddle, rubbing liniment on the horses back either before saddling or after the saddle comes off can give your horse immediate relief. Liniment can be rubbed on the neck, hocks, stifles or any where else your horse may be sore.
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