Kissing Spine Help

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Franob

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30 November 2011
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Hi,

We have had our gorgeous loan pony since the start of Feb. Due to an appauling lack of care he had come back from his previous loan home looking like a hat rack and very lame, although by the time we took him home from his super owner he was no longer lame, just incredibly thin and unmuscled.

Since we have had him he has made excellent progress and is beatifully muscled (apart from over his spine), back to the correct weight and is just a superstar. He has always had his quirks under saddle however, which we have worked around gladly as he is such a genuine boy and just the light of my daughters life. Over the last few days he has felt 'wrong' to my daughter and he has been tender over his back, so we called the vet out today and she suspects kissing spines.

I had my suspicions before the vet arrived, as some of his quirks could be attributed to a back issue and we had worked with a physio and saddler etc as part of his rehab anyway, so the 'basics' have been covered on an ongong basis. The more I have read the more his range of 'quirks' fit neatly in the KS box, although we clearly have yet to have a definitive diagnosis.

Fortunately we are insured, so he is having X-rays on Thursday morning with potential surgery the following day. I have seen a few posts about KS ops but wondered if anyone had any experiences to share or advice to give? If it is confirmed he will be having the op at Breadstone (B&W Equine) and it will be done standing I believe, so if anyone has any knowledge of these places/procedures that would be very welcome.

The vet said that KS would be one of the easier diagnosis' to treat/deal with, so we are taking the positives, but 9am on Thursday seems a very long way away in terms of worrying and information gathering!

Sorry for a long post! Thanks for your help xx
 
My RI events a horse with Kissing Spines, and his partner rides a horse at Prix St. George with Kissing spines.........

My friend had a horse with KS, and my RI suggested working the horse is a VERY long, low outline, and regularly lunging in a pessoa......

Both of the above horses (the event horse & dressage horse) compete to a high level happily without surgery.
 
My Prix St George horse had KS, and like you we tried to rule out all other possibilities for discomfort in the back with saddles and physio. However, with no luck, and him being unable to put on condition (assumably because of pain) I decided to get him x-rayed, and yes, kissing spine with 3 vertebrae.

Before the surgery I wanted to be sure his stiffness and discomfort was his back, as he was also slightly lame behind too. So we took him to B&W at Breadstone and they I rode him in front of the vets so they could see him under saddle. Then, he was injected with local anaesthetic in his back where the KS was, and after 20 mins I rode him again. He felt much more swinging, less resistant, happier in his mouth, though he was still slighty lame. We decided the surgery would be the best way to go, to fix his back, and deal with the lameness after.

He had his surgery at B&W, done by Olly, just over a month ago. It was done standing and he was out of the clinic the next day with just one plaster-type thing covering the wound, with stitches that dissolve so don't need to be taken out. Very easy.

He had four weeks of only hand walking, and then could be lunged in the Pessoa. Unfortunately, he was even more lame than before. So after another couple of days at the clinic and some assessments, we have established he has some issues in his right hock and is now being treated for that.

So unfortunately I can't tell you whether the surgery was absolutely successful or not, and I haven't even been in England to take him through all this, I have been in Germany and he is being looked after by some trusted friends. I only travelled back to ride him for the vets and make the decision with the surgery.

I do think though that KS can be managed with correct work that is over the back and through, so the horse has a strong enough back to cancel out the negative effect of a kissing spine. The vets here in Germany are absolutely against any surgery on the back and are very certain that it can be managed with proper work. However, I was not in England to go through it with proper work, so just went for the surgery as it was the best time for him to do the rehab, while I was not there.

Sorry for the long story, but I know I was extremely sceptical about having the surgery too! I don't regret the surgery because it was quite easily done, and now I know that is just one less problem I have to think about now. So if it puts your conscience at ease, do it.

Read my blog post on the surgery (with pics) to get a better idea of it if you like...

http://www.teendressagedream.com/2012/06/back-to-school-and-longgg-story-of.html (the decision to do the surgery)

http://www.teendressagedream.com/2012/08/easing-blow-of-onset-of-lameness-and.html (after surgery and with pic of bandage)
 
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