Franklin Levinson's
Horse Help Center
Professional support for you and your horse!
Horse falls under tack.
Dear Franklin,
I wonder if you may be able to give some advice: my thoroughbred mare has recently had her second fall straight after being tacked up. She would just go down back end first, then get up as if nothing had happened. After the first time I had the vet to see her and they could find nothing wrong, in the meantime I have heard about the cold back condition and from the symptoms she has displayed at other times am certain that this may be her problem. How could I avoid her falling again?
Many thanks, Ulrike
PS. I never pull the girth up until she has walked a fair bit and I recently exchanged a badly fitting saddle with a fitted one.
Hi Ulrike,
Yes this does sound like 'cold back condition'. I have seen it before. It is not very common, but it is around enough to be fairly well known. Try warming your horse up before you tack her up. Long line her or put her in a round pen to get her body warm before tacking. Another thing I'll do is to endeavor to move the horse as I tack it up. Sometimes this works a bit and sometimes not. I do think trying to warm the horse before tacking is the way to go. Good luck and please keep me posted. This is so uncommon really that if you have any success I would appreciate hearing about it.
Sincerely, Franklin