How is she looking? Diary of a Kissing Spines horse.

[Delicious_D]

Dee has been through a lot this year! At the moment she is fed ad lib hay, 2x scoops pure easy three times a day and 2x cups of micronised linseed.

4 weeks ago

whilst @ vets being nerve blocks (after diagnosis)

after lots of this..

and this...

last week

Dee lunging

Today

Love her ears!

Some history for those that are not aware, delicia has been lame on/off since August this year, have shown behaviour issues for the past 12 months she became unridable in august (think back up like a cat and unable to canter without constantly changing legs and tail spining like a helicopter). her official disgnosis is impinging Dorsal Spinal Processes and sacroilliac disease aka Kissing Spines and boney changes in her SI joint (more so on the left side probably caused by her KS).

She has had Tildren, 2x shockwave therapies and steroid injections. She spent in total 6 days at the vet (1x 1 dya period and 1x 5 day period) and lost a huge amount of weight, went colicy on me and very not like herself.

So far, everything seems very positive. We progressed to two trotting poles at stride distance apart today. However on the left side when she stretched down in the pessoa i saw her flinch across her back and she just broncs. Straight legs and head between her front legs bronced. This wants like her usual bucks but definetly a pain response not something i wanted to see. I stopped her and patted and an in a second she was fine again. Very odd and the first time thats happened!

I still feel very blind to this. Delicia will not be undergoing any surgery, be it the Cotts ligament surgery or the traditional 'shaving' type. She simply would not cope with the box rest and i will not risk her under GA.

However, apart from the one episode, she seems better on the lunge. i have a video from last week below. Comments and thoughts please.

https://www.facebook.com/v/10151132099870978

 

[swintondesire]

How old is she? Such a shame if she never comes right as she look a very smart horse. Fingers crossed. I am also blind to kissing spine.

 

[TandD]

shes looking good! putting on muscle across her back

with the flinching and bucking this could be due to muscle spasm...cos she was holding her self in a certain way before, so the muscle is 'stuck' like that, but you asking her to strech it now and it hurts......have you had a physio? but i woudnt worry to much about the hic-up. you will have set backs and take steps backwards but you just need to learn her limits.

can i ask.... did you or the vet decide to put her in the pessoa? only cos my boy will not, in any circumstance, have a fluffy white thing near his arse and then be 'tied down' by rope
and i LOVE your bridle

 

[el_Snowflakes]

Shes looking really good. I love seeing pics of Dee- defo one of my favourite HHO horses Wishing you all the best with her rehab, I really hope she comes right for you.

 

[Bedlam]

Looking good. You do know that the KS op is done under sedation and local in the stocks don't you? No GA required.....?

Not questioning your decision at all - I had a mare that had KS surgery and went through all the rehab only to then tie up a few times and eventually look like she had navicular problems, so not sure I would do it again if I'm honest. Just thought if the GA was putting you off then it was important to let you know that it doesn't need one........

 

[Delicious_D]

How old is she? Such a shame if she never comes right as she look a very smart horse. Fingers crossed. I am also blind to kissing spine.

Shes 10 - 11 in april. She is a british bred hanovairan mare with wonderful breeding and my horse of a lifetime, i *think* ill get her back as a happy hacker but tbh as long as shes pain free, ill find ways to entertain her!

shes looking good! putting on muscle across her back

with the flinching and bucking this could be due to muscle spasm...cos she was holding her self in a certain way before, so the muscle is 'stuck' like that, but you asking her to strech it now and it hurts......have you had a physio? but i woudnt worry to much about the hic-up. you will have set backs and take steps backwards but you just need to learn her limits.

can i ask.... did you or the vet decide to put her in the pessoa? only cos my boy will not, in any circumstance, have a fluffy white thing near his arse and then be 'tied down' by rope
and i LOVE your bridle

Thanks! I thought she was laying down a better topline but i wanted another opinion! I was thinking it might be a spasm, we have had mctimmony but she isnt allowed this again until another few weeks. I do like to run my hand down her back now. The only difference today was her rugs had pulled back in the night and she had a small swelling over her whither from it i think she was a bit sensitive. I know im sensitive to hic-ups, especially now i know for definet something is wrong, i knew before but no one else could see it unless she was ridden .

The vet actually insisted she is lunged in a pessoa, this is for her SI disease, she has had steriods in there and she needs to engage and use her hind end more to see if the SI improves. The pessoa actively encouranges her to engage and relax over her frame. In all fairness, the pessoa is loose on her, she is very long framed and 17hh, its deceptive how big she really is!

I love my bridle too

Shes looking really good. I love seeing pics of Dee- defo one of my favourite HHO horses Wishing you all the best with her rehab, I really hope she comes right for you.

Thank you elsazzo x

Looking good. You do know that the KS op is done under sedation and local in the stocks don't you? No GA required.....?

Not questioning your decision at all - I had a mare that had KS surgery and went through all the rehab only to then tie up a few times and eventually look like she had navicular problems, so not sure I would do it again if I'm honest. Just thought if the GA was putting you off then it was important to let you know that it doesn't need one........

I have since read up its not GA but local, the op hasnt been offered to me cause my vets know my stance on ops for hroses, unless life threatening and as long as it doesnt mean dee suffers pain due to not having it, i dont want to risk it. We are trying ever other route and to be honest, we have a long way still to go. The op would be to make her ridable again, but lucky for me Delicia is a mare and the vet has assured me her issues are a) trauma based and b) not genetic. There were other issues highlighted and it all leads me to suspect one point in time is the route cause of this

 

[TandD]

Thanks! I thought she was laying down a better topline but i wanted another opinion! I was thinking it might be a spasm, we have had mctimmony but she isnt allowed this again until another few weeks. I do like to run my hand down her back now. The only difference today was her rugs had pulled back in the night and she had a small swelling over her whither from it i think she was a bit sensitive. I know im sensitive to hic-ups, especially now i know for definet something is wrong, i knew before but no one else could see it unless she was ridden .

The vet actually insisted she is lunged in a pessoa, this is for her SI disease, she has had steriods in there and she needs to engage and use her hind end more to see if the SI improves. The pessoa actively encouranges her to engage and relax over her frame. In all fairness, the pessoa is loose on her, she is very long framed and 17hh, its deceptive how big she really is!

we all know our horses so well...but it conviceing the other people around us!...it took 4months to convince my mum, y/o and vet that there was something seriously wrong with my horse...and this involved him dropping to the floor like he'd just died when i put his saddle on him (no girth etc), broncking me off mid canter, and bolting when his girth was done up and he breathed out (never seen him move so fast, or run so far)....got to the bone scanning box in the end

when we had our physio we had it: day one, day 3, day 7, day 13 etc for about 2 months...and it wasnt muscles over his back that were painful but round his girth and stomach....

is she really 17hh??? doesnt look it! and shes very beautiful. in the end i long lined my boy or let him go free..he was much happier and did exactly as i wanted.

i honestly never thought id have a roller back on him.....(you're MUCH further than i was by this time!) let alone get on him! and still ride tests!

 

[Delicious_D]

we all know our horses so well...but it conviceing the other people around us!...it took 4months to convince my mum, y/o and vet that there was something seriously wrong with my horse...and this involved him dropping to the floor like he'd just died when i put his saddle on him (no girth etc), broncking me off mid canter, and bolting when his girth was done up and he breathed out (never seen him move so fast, or run so far)....got to the bone scanning box in the end

when we had our physio we had it: day one, day 3, day 7, day 13 etc for about 2 months...and it wasnt muscles over his back that were painful but round his girth and stomach....

is she really 17hh??? doesnt look it! and shes very beautiful. in the end i long lined my boy or let him go free..he was much happier and did exactly as i wanted.

i honestly never thought id have a roller back on him.....(you're MUCH further than i was by this time!) let alone get on him! and still ride tests!

Just to show how big she actually is (photos taken by AlwaysHenesy on here

Dee is fine for saddles/rollers to be on her back (despite KS all down to her SI!) its when you sit on here there is an issue. Im going to sell my saddle and opt for a light weight or treeless variety. IF i get to ride her again!

Ill show you how she behaved in canter (before we knew anything was up)

[youtube]GPfZ04-GciQ[/youtube]

[youtube]uJwPxtwPKM0[/youtube]

She seemed to get better in the canter but suddenly and very quickly went downhill, rearing, bolting and cantering on the spot to just planting and refusing to budge, as though her muscles were in spasm so if i patted her she squeeled. First the vets thought she was colicy, then she went a little laminitic (didnt go full blown but definetly footy) and then just completley unsound.

 

[TandD]

Dee is fine for saddles/rollers to be on her back (despite KS all down to her SI!) its when you sit on here there is an issue. Im going to sell my saddle and opt for a light weight or treeless variety. IF i get to ride her again!

She seemed to get better in the canter but suddenly and very quickly went downhill, rearing, bolting and cantering on the spot to just planting and refusing to budge, as though her muscles were in spasm so if i patted her she squeeled. First the vets thought she was colicy, then she went a little laminitic (didnt go full blown but definetly footy) and then just completley unsound.

i would love to say 'she massive' but my other horse is 17.3 :/ if it doesnt work out you'll have the most georgous lawn mower

yes a light weight saddle is a very good idea! we bought a £1600 leather saddle specifically designed for horses with ks...well 2 months later we gave up with it, 'gave it to our other horse' and put our £131 thorowgood dressage saddle on the boy - not even fitted by a saddle fitter :/ ... but hes never been happier!

from your most recent video she look wayyyy more relaxed! really improving....its just about not rushing things. my vet said 'oh your pony, i expect, just got kicked in the field'........they were a little shocked when it came back with 6 vertibray fuseing together and was suprised just how well he had behaved considering how much pain he had been in!

 

[Delicious_D]

i would love to say 'she massive' but my other horse is 17.3 :/ if it doesnt work out you'll have the most georgous lawn mower

yes a light weight saddle is a very good idea! we bought a £1600 leather saddle specifically designed for horses with ks...well 2 months later we gave up with it, 'gave it to our other horse' and put our £131 thorowgood dressage saddle on the boy - not even fitted by a saddle fitter :/ ... but hes never been happier!

from your most recent video she look wayyyy more relaxed! really improving....its just about not rushing things. my vet said 'oh your pony, i expect, just got kicked in the field'........they were a little shocked when it came back with 6 vertibray fuseing together and was suprised just how well he had behaved considering how much pain he had been in!

HAHA dee's an overgrown foalie She will be a mummy to my next one and a good friend as always.

She is a lot more relaxed, even in her jaw she is a lot happier. Bloody horses eh

 

[dominobrown]

The pain caused by a kissing spine can be constant or feel like an 'electric shock' when two dorsal processes touch which may explain the explosions.
My horse has the operation at 9 and it was the best thing I ever did for him. He would most definitely have been PTS by now.

Management wise, I have magnetic and massage back pads (equilibrium ones). I feed superflex and alphabute (competition legal), and he gets regular physio and acupuncture. Hope this helps.

 

[rosiehorse]

Hi Seret Santa
I too have been through what you are now. My 12 MARE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH KISSING SPINES 3 YEARS AGO AFTER GOING THROUGH MUCH REARING ETC AND BECAME UNRIDEABLE. she too had the same treatment but hada few moths off due to my pregnancy. She has come backinto work and felels really good. Good luck with it and dont loose hope.

 

[TandD]

HAHA dee's an overgrown foalie She will be a mummy to my next one and a good friend as always.

She is a lot more relaxed, even in her jaw she is a lot happier. Bloody horses eh

haha my mare looks like shes having twins!!! think we can wait a few years yet for that tho

but where would we be without them? possibly ALOT richer, with a better social life! still, i love them!

 

[Delicious_D]

haha my mare looks like shes having twins!!! think we can wait a few years yet for that tho

but where would we be without them? possibly ALOT richer, with a better social life! still, i love them!

richer and more socially acceptable when i pop into tescos after doing the horse

@domino - how did you find the accupuncture? Im thinking of tryign it (under vet supervision).

 

[Always Henesy]

Aw the lovely donkey eared pony

Yes she is quite a lot bigger in the flesh than how she appears on photos/videos

I personally think that she is a mule painted black and not Hanovarian at all.

 

[dominobrown]

richer and more socially acceptable when i pop into tescos after doing the horse

@domino - how did you find the accupuncture? Im thinking of tryign it (under vet supervision).

I think acupuncture has to be referred/ approved by your vet. I had to ring up my vet and ask if my horse would be suitable, and the acupuncturist was also a vet.
I did notice a difference in his relaxation and willingness to work, and he was a lot more suppleness over his back.

 

[Always Henesy]

I think acupuncture has to be referred/ approved by your vet. I had to ring up my vet and ask if my horse would be suitable, and the acupuncturist was also a vet.
I did notice a difference in his relaxation and willingness to work, and he was a lot more suppleness over his back.

Hey you...I did tell you that H had acupunture didn't I?

Here he is totally blissed out having a stretch/snuggle with my vet:

 

[tankgirl1]

I think acupuncture has to be referred/ approved by your vet. I had to ring up my vet and ask if my horse would be suitable, and the acupuncturist was also a vet.
I did notice a difference in his relaxation and willingness to work, and he was a lot more suppleness over his back.

I'm an RVN and briefly looked into doing an acupuncture course, until I found out you have to be a vet to practice acupuncture on animals.

OP your mare is beautiful - hope she comes right for you

 

[Delicious_D]

Aw the lovely donkey eared pony

Yes she is quite a lot bigger in the flesh than how she appears on photos/videos

I personally think that she is a mule painted black and not Hanovarian at all.

HAHA such slander! Get back to your picnic

I think acupuncture has to be referred/ approved by your vet. I had to ring up my vet and ask if my horse would be suitable, and the acupuncturist was also a vet.
I did notice a difference in his relaxation and willingness to work, and he was a lot more suppleness over his back.

Thanks for this, ill ask the vet in the new year

Hey you...I did tell you that H had acupunture didn't I?

Here he is totally blissed out having a stretch/snuggle with my vet:

Nope you didnt love that picture!

I'm an RVN and briefly looked into doing an acupuncture course, until I found out you have to be a vet to practice acupuncture on animals.

OP your mare is beautiful - hope she comes right for you

Thank you