Cranky horse for saddle or blanket?

[luckycricket123]

My horse has been acting a bit cranky - I can’t pinpoint when it started, but he has been pinning his ears when I tack him up or when I put his blanket on.

This horse has been back sore in the past, but doesn’t palpate sore over the back at the moment. If something distracts him while I am tacking up, he doesn’t pin his ears or act girthy at all.

I don’t think it’s ulcers since I have already treated him, and I don’t think its saddle fit because I gave him a couple weeks of just lunging in a surcingle and he still reacted the same way to being blanketed and tacked up.

Given his prior back pain, I’m not sure if this is some sort of remembered pain response, but I don’t think it is. I’m just surprised at how firmly I can press on his back without getting a response given he’s been pretty sensitive in the past.

I’m slightly concerned about a vitamin e deficiency, as another horse in the barn on the same diet just got the blood test and came back deficient. I’m starting him on a vitE supplement to see if that helps, but I would have expected him to be more back sore if it was really a problem with vitE.

I don’t see any performance problems under saddle or any lameness issues beyond the girthiness when tacking up. I’m thinking it might be worth a call to the chiropractor to see what she thinks, but also open to any other ideas if anyone wants to throw something out there before I call the vet out.

[JB]

@luckycricket123

I’m slightly concerned about a vitamin e deficiency, as another horse in the barn on the same diet just got the blood test and came back deficient. I’m starting him on a vitE supplement to see if that helps, but I would have expected him to be more back sore if it was really a problem with vitE.

Get him tested. That’s the only way to track how the specific dose of the specific product you’re using, is working.

There is no black and white in the books on how sore/cranky a horse should be for any given issue. There are horses who scope with MAJOR ulcers, who are just the smallest bit cranky. There are horses with teeny tiny hock changes who are CRANKY PANTS until treated.

What’s his breed/breeding? Asking, to see if PSSM of either type/variant could be in play, especially if you notice an increase in symptoms with colder weather.

[luckycricket123]

He’s a TB. I can’t say for sure if there was a correlation between the change in behavior and the weather because I can’t remember how recently it started, but I do feel like it may have started in November.

I’m having a hard time remembering the timing exactly because I gave him a couple months off in the fall and I initially thought the blanketing crankiness was probably just static so I didn’t really pay any attention at first.

[Xanthoria]

Check your blanket. They can put pressure on that can make a horse very angry - I had a TB whose blanket was pressing at the withers and he was NOT HAVING IT. Took me much too long to figure it out. Then he got cranky about the lycra shoulder guard he wore the following year…

[lenapesadie]

@Xanthoria

Check your blanket. They can put pressure on that can make a horse very angry

Ditto.

[SuzieQNutter]

Not only the pressure on the wither can make them cranky, it can cause fistlous withers.

[Pally]

Not only can blankets cause major pressure on the withers, but surcingles have been shown to as well. Definitely check the wither.

[arbeegirl]

I’m not sure of the temperature where you live but my Tab starts to get cranky when it gets cold. He hates being cold. I learned he likes to have a heavier blanket than I would think he needs. He shows this by being cranky. Even if he feels nice and warm under his blanket he will be a cranky boy if he’s cold.

Yesterday we had a huge temperature drop he had his medium weight with hood. When I got to the barn he was just a grump and didn’t even eat his dinner. I changed his blanket to his heavier with hood and he started to change his attitude and eat.

[Posting_Trot]

If he’s sensitive to touch generally, it might be worth checking him for Lyme disease. Touch sensitivity and crankiness/moodiness can be symptoms of the disease.

There are of course loads of other possible symptoms and it’s also possible for a horse’s sensitivity to be caused by things like blanket rubs, etc. But if nothing else checks out, it’s worth asking the vet about doing a Lyme test.

Here’s an Equus article about Lyme disease in horses.