horse hollowing and throwing head up wen ridden, is it kissing spines?

A

alfirules

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 January 2006
Messages
1,181
Visit site
Hi,

Just wanted your opinions really.
Basically Marco, my 7 YO Thoroughbred ex polo pony, has always been cold backed, somedays he's worse than others particularly when he's tense or stressed about something. He is better than he was when i bought him, so i put it down to bad riding and badly fitting saddles from polo yard (he was in a bad state when i bought him). When he's cold backed he seriously hunches up when i mount him and he tries to run off while i get on, on his worse days he bucks! He usually settles after a few steps or if i warm him in first in hand he's better.

He has recently started stumbling alot, on both front legs, his shoes are fine my farrier has improved his feet alot.

My instructor always says to keep an eye on it as he does it very randomly and she has suggested there is something going on such as a trapped nerve.

He was going very well with dressage, he was accepting contact and had 3 floating, rhythmical and straight paces.

Over the past couple of months he has gone downhill, he now won't accept contact at all, he snatches at reins, throws his head up and hollows his back. He is very crooked, frantic and rushes all the time.

Nothing has changed, i school him the same, i still have lessons, he's had his saddle checked, teeth done and had physio. His routine is also the same.

When i ride him he dishes badly and plaits his hind legs down hills.

Any suggestions? I looked up kissing spine and he does show most of those symptoms, do you think it could be that?

I am going to get him checked over by physio again and if no improvement i am going to get vet.

Oh and he has been intimitantly (sp) lame in the past but vet and farrier put it down to bruised sole.

thanks for reading
smile.gif
 
I would want front foot x-rays and possibly back x-rays too.
Is he insured? If so a MRI or nulear scintigraphy would be good general diagnosis tools.
 
It could be, but the signs of kissing spine aren't always straightforward. It can be hard for vets to even see the problem, although with your horse it sounds more obvious. The only way to know for sure is to have his back xrayed. I hope you've got insurance.
frown.gif

Mind you, I know a few older ex polo ponies with physical issues, caused by being broken young and ridden hard. So there could be lots of reasons. I hope you manage to find out, because you do seem to be describing an uncomfortable horse.
 
It sounds very much as if he is in considerable pain, and if he were mine I would be getting the vet in to check him completely before I rode him any more
frown.gif
If he is showing the behaviour that you say, I wonder that the physio hasn't picked up anything wrong. I would certainly get the vet in.
 
If he was mine, I'd have the vet look at him immediately and have him referred if necessary to somewhere where a full diagnostic work up could be done.
 
I think if you have a hunch, go with it.

What's he like to tack up? Is he showing signs of discomfort? My last horse was cold backed and got worse. He was odd about being saddled and went very short in front when ridden in the school particularly. I looked up kissing spines and had a really strong feeling that that was what his problem was as so many things tied up. Went straight to the equine hospital, went into great detail as to what his problems were, requested spinal x-rays but diagnosis was from nerve blocks from hoof upwards. Sadly he also had suspensory problems so diagnosis stopped below knee/hock level. He also had a few sessions with my very experienced and well respected physio, who didnt rule out ks but equally was not in a position to diagnose it.

Several months down the line I grew a pair of balls and insisted on spinal x-rays and he did indeed have KS.

If you really think it could be ks, get x-rays. Its your horse and you know it best.
 
Could well be - I'd want a vet's opinion.

Back X-ray is the only way to know for sure.

Good luck - it's not the kiss of death. I've got one recovering from KS op as we speak - aiming to get back to eventing at the beginning of next season.
 
I had made the decision not to ride him until he's been looked at, and i think i'll get the vet to look at him.

thanks, for yor thoughts.
 
Yes would get your vet out for a full clinical exam. May require xrays of front feet too as navicular cold also be an explanation for what you have said above. Your vet will now best when he/she sees him.
 
My lad was showing the same symptoms & has now been diagnosed with navicular, SI problems & hind suspensories. Not sure for def but vet thinks navicular was causing him pain which then caused the SI etc.

I'm not for a second suggesting that your horse has all these problems but, we too first thought our lad had a bruised sole & it sadly snowballed from there.

Therefore, you are wise to be getting him checked by vet. My lad had MRI on front feet, then due to the hind problems arising he went to Newmarket for bone scan which then diagnosed the other problems.

At least if your vet checks him, it will put your mind at rest. I should have done earlier but as my lad wasn't lame at first I stupidly believed our instructor, YO & some other liveries who all told me he was being a stroppy git who didn't want to work. I have pangs of guilt over it & should have trusted my own instincts but we hadn't owned him for long when all this started
 
He might have had a fall in the field and jarred himself or sometimes things just happen a spook maybe jarring him or a bit harder work than usual so muscles tighten and pull back out of alignment. I would get the vet to look at but to be honest I would get a physio to look at him (mine is excellent at saying OK I can treat or no this needs more investigation by a vet) and treat it more conservatively before going down the whole xray root and invasive procedures - half the time vets they can't find anything anyway and if they do its not conclusive that it is what is causing the problem. Ive found vets are very negative about back problems. If its a trapped nerve or strained muscles physios are better at dealing with this although a course of bute could be appropriate. Ive been through all this (my horse has almost but not quite kissing spine and chronic Sacroiliac strain) and in the main its the physio that is pragmatic and keeps my horse on the road. Good Luck
smile.gif
 
think your doing the right thing by getting the vet out, bite the bullet and get his back xrayed atleast you can find out straight away if there is a problem there, vets will try and do loads of tests but i personally would get the back xrayed first before submitting him to loads of test that will have a big bill and use up a substantial amount of your insurance payout (hope you have insurance!)

let us know how you get on! my mare has recovered from KS op and she was the best iv ever ridden her tonight!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top