Could it be kissing spine?

[Charla]

My 5 year old warmblood hasn't been right for the most of this summer. He had back problems as a 4 year old which seemed pretty straight forward, was seen my physio and then worked fine all through the summer of 2011 and up to spring 2012.
Spring 2012 he changed shape and so he needed his saddle adjusting. Saddle adjusted and I started some dressage training with him and he was going really well. He then started random explosions and his canter gait felt very odd. Rested him and got physio out who said he had a sore lower back. Addressed the area and after 2 sessions I started working him again. He felt much better, especially his canter but kept getting in the 'weeing stance' every so often throughout his schooling session, yet not weeing. He was then very sluggish and reluctant to move forwards. Instructor thought he might just be using it as an excuse to avoid working.
He then bronked one lesson after about 2 minutes and got me off. I questioned saddle so tried a wider one on him and continued the lesson in that ok. However then he started this behaviour out hacking and also resting a hind leg whilst in the wee position. He exploded out hacking with me and I came off. When I remounted his back was so hunched and tight and I know he was about to blow again.
Also cantering in the school, all of a sudden he started cantering on the wrong leg on the left rein and seeming to struggle with it.
I questioned whether it was still back trouble so rested him for a week and then lunged him. Lunged him without saddle. Fine. Put saddle on, asked him to walk on and he leaped in to a bucking fit.
Everytime he is tacked up in the stable he gets extremely stressed when the saddle is put on and done up. Have checked and it is definitely not pinching him. He will stamp and paw the ground, throw his head around and swish his tail.
Decided to get the vet out to investigate. He felt back and got a slight reaction on left lower back, but not extreme. Tested for lameness, did flexions etc, completely sound. When tight turning to the left, hind leg places slightly awkwardly but other then that all ok. When lunged on left rein, struggles to bend correctly. Vet said he thinks it's due to avoiding pain or protecting something.
Vet now suggests to go down the route of investigating if he has kissing spine. Please give you opinions and any experiences of kissing spine and diagnosis. Thank you!

 

[Goldenstar]

This sounds as if it could be KS get him investigated quickly the quicker you catch it the easy it is to control and treat.
You don't what to hear about my experiances as they where in older horses and not really relevant to you and one youngster who had an accident lots of people on here have recent experiance of KS and will post I am sure.
Good luck .

 

[paddi22]

sounds very similar to my lad. I had the same issues, working well and then just explosions. Then his back started feeling hunched and tight, and he really felt like he would go off at any time.

Same issue with vet, he flew through flexions etc. But once the vet saw me sit on him he could see the issue and the tensing.

Got a specialist out and he thinks its kissing spins and a sacroliliac issue. He got injections into the spine and was worked in lunge for two weeks. I'm going to keep lunging and turn him out for a while and then vet said to try riding again.

 

[Charla]

Are horses able to work round and move really well with kissing spine?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Well, it could be KS, of course, and it does seem that your vet is going down that route. But having read in your OP that he was ok on the lunge without a saddle I'd also get a 2nd saddler's opinion on the saddle fit.

 

[Goldenstar]

Are horses able to work round and move really well with kissing spine?

Well some certainly can the thing is its a term used to describe everything from inflammation around the spinal processes to the bones being fused together in severe cases in some cases the ligament is involved in some not so there's a huge variation in symptoms.