HELP! Link between kissing spine and bone spavin?

Birker2020

Birker2020

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 October 2008
Messages
23,596
Visit site
Hi, I know there is a strong link between horses that have been diagnosed with kissing spine having had hind suspensory ligament problems but is there actually any link between other hind limb problems such as bone spavin for example and kissing spine?
 
In a word, yes! Bone spavin and kissing spine is a really common 'duo'. Apparently, the hind limb lameness often leads to kissing spines as the horse adjusts it's gait and overuses its back muscles to compensate for not being able to use its hind legs properly, which then pushes the vertebrae together.
 
Oh no. Just as I thought. I have the chiropractor coming out tomorrow to look at my 12 year old gelding who I suspect may have kissing spine. He has bone spavin for which he is/ has been treated for in both hocks. He is displaying girthiness, disunited canter on lunge and bucking which are additional symptoms to the cold backed, and spookiness symtoms all of which are displayed with KS. I haven't ridden in for about three weeks now as I know he is not right. If the chiro thinks he has KS I am going to get him xrayed or scanned asap to get a diagnosis. Poor Bailey, I just know he is not being naughty but the physio thought it was muscular. I am praying it is something easily fixed and not KS. Thanks for your help.
 
I know there is a link between hind leg lameness and sacroilliac injuries. My boy has hind suspensory problems and now has suspected damage to the sacroilliac joint - we aren't investigating further as we have decided to retire him but as SuperFurryAnimal says the hind leg lameness causes the horse to use the wrong muscles and compensate thus leading to damage in the back. Depending on the level of damage to the sacroilliac joint this can be fixed with a steriod injection.
 
id get his back xrayed....i wasted time with injections in hocks with no difference they then wanted to stab her in the sacroilliac area so i said enough xray back! found KS! injections in her spine didnt work, my physio said i would be stupid to operate....so i ignored her and operated (well i personally didnt operate!) and she is a completely different horse! very chilled! hopefully back on next week if all is well with her xrays!

so get bck xrayed before you do anything else!
 
There is a strong link between Kissing Spine and sacroiliac ligament strain. As the horse compensates its way of going due to the KS, it damages the hind ligaments.

Do a search on here if you are interested in SI injuries - I have written loads on it as both of mine have it.
 
yes agree with above, if horses are holding themselves incorrectly over a period of time can do damage to other areas, think this is why my horse got splints as a youngster as very heavy on the forehand and probably why he had a locking patella which has pretty much gone away since he started to use back legs properly after op.

On a positive note Ryan was scanned and showed up the KS but they also scanned his hocks and they were clear, spavins occur in many horses and I know quite a few that were kept in light work for a while until things settled down and are doing well now. It may well not be KS that is causing the behaviour, the spavins could be making him sore and grumpy which is why you are experiencing other symptoms and if it is KS it is not the end of the world even though it feels like it at the time, to quote my vet when I said this is just the worst possible diagnosis, he said "Not really, I have known horses with much worse problems, at least there are things you can do to try and sort this out" felt much better after that even though there were quite a few tears!

You sound as though your horse is very much loved and that in itself can be a remarkable help at getting through bad times, I just knew that my horse was such a sweetheart in so many respects that I couldn't believe the behavioural issues we had were anything other that pain related or a well rehearsed routine learned from being in pain, so please keep your chin up and if you need to ask any questions, feel free to pm me, I have probably asked the surgeon all of them!!!!
 
My friends horse had two spavins both operated on then they found he had sacroilliac injury as well.He had no turnout over the winter and lost lots of muscle and was in so much pain it was kinder to pts.He had other issues as well which made him very hard to handle and he became aggessive.I hope you have more luck.
 
My horse had bone spavin due to arthritis, he does not have kissing spines too.

My friends horse had kissing spines, but not bone spavin. I think it is co-incidence.

With bone spavin, its more likely to be SI joint pain and/or muscle spasm due to the abnormal gait.
 
The top line - effectively the jaw to the hind pasterns - is all connected, literally and metaphorically. If there is force - crookedness, sustained pulling, incorrect carriage, change resulting from acute injury etc - something will break, usually one of the least stable areas with many moving parts, such as the neck or the hocks. In then end horses are mechanisms and if they move inefficiently they will break down more often and more quickly.

I see a lot of horses with physical problems and I'd have to say, if the problem has been going on for any length of time, there is almost always compensatory or additional damage in another area. This can make diagnosis a real trick and treatment unpredictable. A strong reason to stop and investigate at the first sign of trouble. And, of course, as Gerd etc say, a very strong incentive to make sure the horse is ridden, shod and managed most effectively in the first place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top