Cold backed TB, need help!

[Reiter]

What I have done in the past, is warm-up a little at the walk and trot and then go right to the canter/gallop. I do a couple of quick rounds around the arena in both directions and after that he relaxes and is usually fine.
The problem is that I have him for sale and I'm not sure telling prospective buyers that they need to go carreening around the arena in order to ride him correctly is a selling feature! ;)
Without the gallop he's very tense and humpbacked, to someone that doesn't know him it might feel like he's about to buck! Any suggestions?

[MyReality]

I suggest telling the story as is, and mark him cheaper. If you can't fix a problem, let others take a chance on him. I know two friends who bought 2 "cold-back" horses.

However, I would not advertise him as 'cold back'. It sounds worse than what your horse is. Just says horse performs great after warmup in canter, might benefit from chiro you cannot provide. The tightness may work itself out some other way, but cantering have worked for you so far.

The horse MUST not buck. If he does, you NEED to tell buyers that.

[Melissa.Hare.Jones]

Just be honest. You don't need someone getting bucked off because they don't let the horse have enough warm-up time.

Do you get the same benefit from longing him at a canter before you get on? Most people wouldn't object to the need to do that for his benefit.

[Lora]

Had a cold backed horse - lunged him in side reins before riding - solved all problems.

[Salty]

Tell them he has a "tight back" until he's warmed up in canter. I had a cold-backed horse & what worked for her was putting a mild brace on her back under the saddle pad, grooming her, & then putting the saddle on. Massage also can do a lot of good--there's a section on cold backs & girthiness in Jack Meagher's book Beating Muscle Injuries for Horses.

[sm]

I agree with the lunging comments.

Also, tell prosepctive buyer that's how he warms up the best and what the horse expects in the way of warm up exercises. The right rider won't object.

Don't present it as a negative --- it's really not for the right rider.

[Reiter]

The cantering works, I was just wondering if there are other things that would help with this. I guess you're right though, the right person for him wouldn't mind this way of warming up! :)
He does not buck! At least he has never bucked with me! I've tried longing with and without side-reins and it doesn't seem to make a difference. It's definitely when you get on him that he does this.
He is very skin sensitive, doesn't like his mane pulled and I only brush him with a soft brush. Don't know if that is related!
Salty, what do you mean by brace?

[Simkie]

My cold backed TB was completely "cured" with acupuncture and a thinline pad. Completely.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

I think many TBs warm up best at the canter.

[faluut42]

id just tell the buyers that he warms up much better if you canter first, ive had 2 horses that did this, both half tbs. They just warm up better this way, just like warming up a horse long and low, its no diffrent.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

On the other hand, I warm up best with a hot toddy, laced with sugar. So it's all what works for you.

[sm]

Hmmm.. and there's at least one TB out there who warms up well with a handful of peeps.

Reiter: another way, to answer your last question, is lunging with small jumps. MY TB always was lunged a good fifteen minutes at the canter without jumps. But if your horse likes being ridden at the canter and it's effective, stick with it. There will be enough changes in his lifestyle.

Just please make sure he gets the right rider for him, it would be a mess if he gets bounced around with a series of owners just because no one figures out the warm up.

[Reiter]

Thanks for all the good suggestions! I rode him with a foam pad today and while not completely aleviating the problem it did make a huge difference! :)
Because I ride so many different horses I use a saddle that works for a wide variety of horses but is not specially fitted to any of them. Since the weight of the rider seems to cause the tenseness and the pad helped a lot, I'm thinking saddle fit might be one of the causes. Posting the thread and reading all the suggestions made me think about something that should have been obvious and the first thing to check!
So thanks everyone for the duh moment! :D

[staceyk]

Hi,

My tb is very cold backed from time to time, warm up at walk for a good 15 minutes, and then stretchy trot.

I think I'd end of telling the buyer that "he's a crock pot, not a microwave." Tell them what you find works and then let them decide on their own approach. Sheepskin pads do help.

[Reiter]

"he's a crock pot, not a microwave."

LOL :)

[slc2]

if you don't tell them they will probably come back and kill you after the first time he puts them on the floor :D

[Daventry]

Thanks for all the good suggestions! I rode him with a foam pad today and while not completely aleviating the problem it did make a huge difference! :)
Because I ride so many different horses I use a saddle that works for a wide variety of horses but is not specially fitted to any of them. Since the weight of the rider seems to cause the tenseness and the pad helped a lot, I'm thinking saddle fit might be one of the causes. Posting the thread and reading all the suggestions made me think about something that should have been obvious and the first thing to check!
So thanks everyone for the duh moment! :D

Exactly! I truly believe there is no such thing as a cold backed horse...only a horse with a saddle fitting problem, even if it's just a small one!

[Kathy Johnson]

I agree that longeing does not solve all cold backed problems. Nor does saddle fit, nor does slow girthing, hand walking, etc, although they often help.

For me, it's a feature, not a flaw. Definitely tell prospective buyers, and warm the horse up for them. Show them how to do it right, and what to look for.

As long as he isn't bucking people off, I would just present the horse "as is."