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Acute causes
- Slipping/falling when being ridden or in the field
- Becoming cast in the stable
- Slipping/falling during travelling
- Severe bucking or rearing
Chronic causes
- Ill-fitting tack
- Poor foot balance
- Conformational faults
- Asymmetric muscle development
- Dental problems
- Repetitive/ strenuous work
- Compensation from an injury/lameness
Signs of back pain
- Changing in sensitivity over the back when grooming/saddling/rugging
- Uncharacteristic bucking/rearing/napping
- Reduced ability to perform at usual standard
- Reluctance to work in an outline/hollowing the back
- Stiffness on one rein/reluctance to bend
- Head shaking/tilting the head
- Inability/reluctance to strike off or maintain a particular canter leadGoing disunited in the canter
- Lack of impulsion and forward movement
- Beginning to refuse jumps/rushing jumps/knocking down poles/running out
- Loss of ability to bascule over a fence
- Drifting to one side over a fence
- Unlevelness/stiffness, particularly behind
- Behavioural changes, lethargy, or grumpiness
- Reluctance to stand square
- Cold backed/moving when mounted
- Uneven stride/lameness, where alternative causes have been eliminated by a vet
