# Solving problems with "Roach back" ... Any advice?



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

APHAforlife said:


> Although within that year I started noticing her back (spine) was beginning to protrude, I thought it was because of all the time she had off working from the colic incident...so I began working her in the roundpen and lightly riding every couple of days.
> 
> It just seemed to get worse and worse, so I started doing some research and found that the most plausible explanation is "roach back" which is supposedly more common than most. Now, from the pictures I saw she would be considered "bony backed" where her vertebrae are close to the skin due to lack of back and hind quarter muscle, caused from a lack of using those correctly when ridden and working. Here is an article I found on it:
> 
> ...


Your vet is correct. In the photo I can see her ribs. Most certainly needs weight!

A mild roach can be hidden by a fit horse. From the little I can see of her back, it is not roached - she is simply thin and under conditioned.

I would suggest blood work and a muscle biopsy if it's been 2 years.


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

Also, a roach back does not just "appear". It is conformational. Conformation does not change.
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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have to agree with MLS, there is something more serious going on here if you've been trying to get her weight up for 2 years and she is still as ribby and undermuscled as she looks in the picture.

Lack of good weight can cause a lot of things to look worse than they are. I had a colt that dropped a bit of weight after he was gelded and he gained the appearance of a slight roach back. Once I got the weight back on him, that appearance went away.

I would be much less concerned about her back than I would be about the reason why she hasn't been able to regain her weight after 2 years.


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

Also, a roach back does not just "appear". It is conformational. Conformation does not change.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

not sure why it posted twice o.o
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## APHAforlife (Mar 2, 2011)

smrobs said:


> I have to agree with MLS, there is something more serious going on here if you've been trying to get her weight up for 2 years and she is still as ribby and undermuscled as she looks in the picture.
> 
> Lack of good weight can cause a lot of things to look worse than they are. I had a colt that dropped a bit of weight after he was gelded and he gained the appearance of a slight roach back. Once I got the weight back on him, that appearance went away.
> 
> I would be much less concerned about her back than I would be about the reason why she hasn't been able to regain her weight after 2 years.



I forgot to mention, this picture is from the fall of '11. She has put on about 75lbs, she looks better now but I just wanted to use it as an example since I don't have anything more recent. It has improved slightly, after the weight gain and with work but it is just taking so long to correct/condition I was worried it will not be correctable...is it just a very elongated process dependent upon how much weight she had lost (she lost about 150lbs from a week before her colic bout to the 3-4 months after).


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## spirit88 (Jan 12, 2011)

She needs weight and she doesnt have a roached back that doesnt just just happen that is conformational problem. When a horse is to skinny the back bone can stick up making it look roached when it truley isnt. Weight will solve that if youv been trying for two years to put weight on her id say theres something serious going on. Get a vet out ASAP.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Agree that without more info/pics I wouldn't think it's a 'roach back'. This is a conformational thing, often congenital, but I don't agree *necessarily* that 'conformation is unchangeable'. There are definitely many conformational aspects that aren't changeable, but also many that are, including, I believe, some cases of 'roach back'. Even bones can remodel.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

APHAforlife said:


> I forgot to mention, this picture is from the fall of '11. She has put on about 75lbs, she looks better now but I just wanted to use it as an example since I don't have anything more recent. It has improved slightly, after the weight gain and with work but it is just taking so long to correct/condition I was worried it will not be correctable...is it just a very elongated process dependent upon how much weight she had lost (she lost about 150lbs from a week before her colic bout to the 3-4 months after).


However, she still should not be taking two years to put weight back on!

When my filly was so sick last April - she went from being a bulky QH to an emaciated fence post within a couple of weeks. Still eating, drinking, etc. Doctors ran every test they could think of to try and determine why the drastic weight loss. She had been running a fever but nothing to stop her from eating. She was on banamine for the fever. Probios and electrolytes to try and help.

They threw steriods at her. A spendy long acting antibiotic to counter any infection. In the end - they don't know why she was so sick - or why she recovered. The vets credit a lot to my diligence and love for this mare that she survived and is thriving.

I still feed her a lot to maintain her weight. Nutrena Senior, Nutrena Mare and Foal, SafeChoice, XTN, Calf manna and Empower Boost are all part of her daily diet. Along with free choice hay, water and a salt block.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

I, too, had a mare that looked similar to the OP's. She was still eating and drinking well. My final straw was when she came home from my trainer's looking stick thin. Vet drew blood and she had a bacterial infection. She had it for months, and I got lucky she didn't die on me from me not being able to find what was wrong. After 10 days of antibiotics, she was all better and rapidly put on weight after that.

I'd suggest a blood panel done on her, because you just never know.

I don't see a roach back, I see a horse that needs a good 200 pounds put on and her topline built up.

Good luck, she sure is pretty!


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