Question: “My trainer thinks our gelding may be a bit back sore. He’s 6 years old. We are trying massage but she mentioned an injection of Legend. What do you think, or do you need more info to give an opinion.”

Without complete information about the horse’s exact clinical signs and without being able to personally evaluate the horse, it is difficult to definitively answer this question. Has a lameness, musculoskeletal or motion exam been performed? Have radiographs been taken or has an ultrasound been done? What were the findings? I will try to answer the question in a general way.

Back pain is a significant cause of poor performance in horses. A horse may experience back pain for a multitude of reasons including poor saddle fit, poor rider fit, arthritis of the vertebrae and strain of the ligaments and/or muscles of the back/vertebrae. Additionally, pain in the hocks, stifles, mouth, neck, and other areas of the horse’s body may contribute to back pain.

To figure out which, if any, of the above factors are contributing to your horse’s back pain, I would recommend that you have the horse evaluated by a veterinarian. Your veterinarian will perform a thorough musculoskeletal exam, including palpation of the limbs and back of the horse, as well as a motion analysis. Joint flexion tests are also often performed. In addition, a thorough oral exam should be performed as the mouth can be a cause of back pain and poor performance in a horse. After stationary and motion evaluation, your veterinarian may wish to add diagnostics such as radiographs and ultrasound. In some cases, thermography and/or nuclear scintigraphy (a “bone scan”) are also recommended in order to fully evaluate the horse. In addition and importantly, a fair number of horses that present with back pain are battling Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS). EGUS can result in referred or secondary pain in the horse’s back. If EGUS is suspected, scoping the horse’s stomach would be indicated.

The treatment for a horse’s back pain depends on its exact cause. However, there are some good and general recommendations. Properly and professionally fit your saddle to your horse’s back. Saddle fitting should be done by a qualified expert. Chiropractic care and acupuncture treatments can help a horse with a sore back.

Joint medications such as Legend, Adequan, oral glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM are recommended where joint pathology is suspected as a contributor to the back pain. Where back pain is related specifically to pathology of the back, and not a secondary clinical sign of joint pathology, such joint medications will likely not resolve the pain or the underlying pathology. It is important to understand the cause of your horse’s back pain to know if these medications are indicated.

Other treatments for back pain include time off, muscle relaxants, shock wave therapy, and low dose steroid injections. The exact treatment course will depend on the cause of your horse’s back pain — as determined by the examinations and diagnostics mentioned above.

I know that I have answered your question in a general way. However, back pain is a broad (but important) topic. It is difficult to talk in specifics without complete information on your horse. I would recommend that you not ignore your horse’s back pain now that you’ve identified it as an issue. Back pain is a significant cause of poor performance in horses.

Thanks for the question and good luck!

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