Can a horse with kissing spine go on to compete with only injections and rehab?

[Random stranger here]

Hi everyone.
After months of investigation on my horse. We know he has kissing spine and ulcers, and some mild arthritis.
In terms of kissing spine, the vet had suggested we go with injections and rehab. He is 15, and we know if he had the surgery and then by the time he's recovered and fit, he will be old bless him. And with the ulcers as well, we didn't want to add the surgery and box rest etc.
So just wondering, has anyone else had success with just injecting and rehab? Like how much ridden work did your horses return to?
Will he ever be able to jump again? Or complete?
The kissing spine wasn't the worse, but they there was around 4 touching on near the back part of where the saddle sits.
Horse will also be getting hocks injected for arthritis tomorrow. And regular shockwave therapy and physio.
And story's on horses with kissing spine who only had injections would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[HopOnTrot]

Your vet would be best placed to answer but my mare had MESO therapy which worked for 11 months (with a top up at 6 months). “Back injections” is quite a broad brush, what are you using? How long does it last? What is your rehab plan with physio?

My mare then had 4x ligament snips and was rehabbed very slowly, with about 6 months off ridden work, the box rest period was very short. She was 20 when she had it done so I wouldn’t discount it.

 

[teapot]

Tina Cook's Star Witness went round a number of 5*s with kissing spines... Not entirely sure what his treatment was though.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

A specialist rehab vet will be able to answer this accurately. My friend is one such vet specialising in kissing spine rehab and she has a great success rate but it will depend horse by horse. She is super particular as to which patients she works with as the rehab exercises are for life - and she has found not everyone has the time or commitment to do the exercises.

Like all of us who are now aging, continuing in our favourite sport seems to involve a lot more by the time you do the cardio that is kinder on joints, the strength to have muscles to hold everything in the right place and the flexibility/mobility exercises to trick your brain that your body is younger than it is - but it’s worth it.

 

[Abacus]

Mine had kissing spine and hock arthritis. This was probably 16 years ago! - he had shockwave treatment for the spine and injections for the hocks. So not the same protocol. I do believe the thing that made the most difference was being in work; prior to the diagnosis he had been out of work for some time due to the lameness and I’m not sure we’d even have investigated the back otherwise, when muscled it may not have been a problem. After the treatment he was worked very consistently - lots of hills and walk hacks - he went back to eventing at the same level (100) and is still in work now at 27. These days I use cartrophen rather than hock injections as he has other arthritis but he’s still in great shape and would happily jump more than he does (which is occasionally and small, for fun). I have kept him working constantly since then - these days it’s more long slow hacks - and he lives out all the time.

 

[Random stranger here]

Mine had kissing spine and hock arthritis. This was probably 16 years ago! - he had shockwave treatment for the spine and injections for the hocks. So not the same protocol. I do believe the thing that made the most difference was being in work; prior to the diagnosis he had been out of work for some time due to the lameness and I’m not sure we’d even have investigated the back otherwise, when muscled it may not have been a problem. After the treatment he was worked very consistently - lots of hills and walk hacks - he went back to eventing at the same level (100) and is still in work now at 27. These days I use cartrophen rather than hock injections as he has other arthritis but he’s still in great shape and would happily jump more than he does (which is occasionally and small, for fun). I have kept him working constantly since then - these days it’s more long slow hacks - and he lives out all the time.

Thank you, that gives me hope. I will obviously speak to the vet, but I really just wanted story's of horses that had fulled recovered without surgery. My horse has had injection, and will have 3 rounds of shockwave therapy as well, and hock injections. As well as regular physio. How often did you to the shockwave treatment? Or did you only do it once?
And how bad was the kissing spine?
Thanks

 

[Random stranger here]

Your vet would be best placed to answer but my mare had MESO therapy which worked for 11 months (with a top up at 6 months). “Back injections” is quite a broad brush, what are you using? How long does it last? What is your rehab plan with physio?

My mare then had 4x ligament snips and was rehabbed very slowly, with about 6 months off ridden work, the box rest period was very short. She was 20 when she had it done so I wouldn’t discount it.

I actually can't remember, but it was an anti inflammatory and pain relief injected in 4 places. And I did ask how often this should be done, and he said well see how it goes, but some horses only need the one, others need it once a year or a few times a year. The current rehab plan is 2 weeks inhand walking for 20 mins every day, then next 2 weeks 30 mins long riening with balance bands 5-7 times a week, then after that for 2 weeks it's 45 mins long reining with balance bands 4-5 times a week.

 

[Abacus]

Thank you, that gives me hope. I will obviously speak to the vet, but I really just wanted story's of horses that had fulled recovered without surgery. My horse has had injection, and will have 3 rounds of shockwave therapy as well, and hock injections. As well as regular physio. How often did you to the shockwave treatment? Or did you only do it once?
And how bad was the kissing spine?
Thanks

I think we only did the shockwave once (or possibly a course over some weeks). Sorry, too long ago to remember clearly. It definitely wasn't repeated after the initial treatment/s. The kissing spine was not bad and as I said, if he hadn't been out of work for a while I don't think we'd have noticed it, possibly many sound horses would be similar. It sounds as though you have a thorough exercise regime planned, which is good. Good luck x

 

[Birker2020]

Mine had his back and SI joint injected only 4 months apart and it didn't help him, hence he's now retired. He was super reactive as you can see from the photo and he was clearly unhappy whenever anything was asked of him, like more engagement or smaller circles.

But doing extensive groundwork to strengthen the core can't do any harm. Obviously in line with physio/vet approval. I did it for 4 months and it helped do a degree. It depends how compromised they are .
All horses are different and yours may respond in a much better way, but having done it once I'd not go down the same route again of vet treatment, if I'm being totally honest.

I'm sorry if that's upsetting, I don't mean to burst your bubble, just being honest.

I wish you all the best.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Mine had mild hock arthritis and investigations showed some KS. As noted by abacus, being in work helps. Mine has physio and h wave every 6 weeks (treatment and h wave are alternated) and he had Tildren to treat his arthritis. Touch wood he’s been fine since although does struggle a bit when the ground goes hard. In fairness he doesn’t work hard so unsure whether he would stand up to a huge amount of work but physio and work to strengthen his core seems to keep him ticking on comfortably for now

 

[AandK]

My horse has an arthritic hock (due to an injury) which is medicated with arthramid. We found KS and ulcers 2yrs ago, although it seems the behaviour that triggered the investigations was due to the latter. Ulcers were treated and cleared, and he also had mesotherapy and steroid injections in his back. He’s come on really well since and is in full work, including a small amount of jumping (he’d not done much anyway!). I do stretches etc and use a red light pen on him in various areas post exercise, and he has osteo every 6 months.

 

[paddi22]

I've had three with kissing spine, and they competed and worked with no issue. I just got the injections and mesotherapy, horses were injected once and never needed it again.i think what kept them going was correct riding and really learning how to build and strengthen a horses back. I had never liked =dressage but I really had to get my head down and learn to ride correctly. at the start I would hore a pro rider to come once a week and do long and low and raised poles. the horse in my pic to the left got kissing spine injections and 13 and is still going at 22 with no back issues

 

[ihatework]

For a 15yo that has presumably been in some consistent work then yes, I think the prospect of getting the horse back in some sort of functional competitive work is probably pretty high PROVIDED any concurrent pain eg the arthritis/ulcers and anything else undiagnosed is adequately treated so that the horse isn't reinforcing any negative movement patterns AND the rehab and ongoing ridden training is of good quality. You will have to get the horse strong and straight.

 

[sbloom]

If the rehab establishes new movement patterns from the off (so much doesn't, and KS is at least in part from compensatory movement) then the odds definitely move in the right direction. As someone has said or implied, almost every horse benefits from this type of work, postural, getting the horse to push up in front, ie improve the thoracic sling and the rest of the body with it of course.