Hello Franklin:

I bought an Australian Thoroughbred October 2004, retrained him and used him for eventing. At first when I started riding him he would hollow out his back, would not lift / round his back or collect his head, was very downhill and hung on the bit. He was not lame, had no back soreness, and my saddle fit.

I have experience with retraining racehorses and I begin my riding him very slowly and progressively, as their backs are not fit enough to hold prolonged riding or sitting trot (when taken straight off the track). After about 4 months I got him to round his back, lighten in the bit and travel uphill; however, he was too round and now had a problem with getting him to relax his back.

We showed up to Preliminary level (3'7" cross country & stadium and second level dressage) and did very well. He never refused and really loved his job. At one event he showed lameness in his right stifle. I gave him 6 months off and began reconditioning him, when he then showed lameness in other areas (hocks and sacroiliac). His back was so tender to the lightest pressure and hit topline dropped a bit giving him a slight sway. We injected his sacroiliac joint and put him on Methacarbomal (muscle relaxer) and now he has no pain nor a flinch even to hard pressure.  His flexions and palpations are negative.