Kissing Spines - How do you know?

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BerryT24

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Hi all,

I know it probably sounds a silly title, but what are the most common symptons of KS? I know they probably vary but I just have a funny feeling about my horse...

He has always swished his tail when I put his saddle on but I'd say in the last couple of months he has started moving away and dipping his back when he anticipates it going on.

I've had a back lady out every year for maintenance work and they havent noticed anything other than a few tight muscles etc, saddle has been fine although it is due for the saddler to come out and check it in a few months time.

He finds it extremely difficult in fact he wont ever work long and low whilst anyone is on his back, he just rushes off and believe it or not he doesnt walk, well at the start of a session he will do but as soon as you do a bit more he gets quite hot and then will just jog... absolutely fine on the lunge though, can do it no problem and will walk.
We compete in BSJA up to Discovery / 1.05 level with no problem, ie never stops etc, will have the odd pole down here and there.

When riding he finds it very difficult to step through and under on the left rein, usually results in him shooting off, or worst case rearing up and leaping forward :eek: its always on the second half of a 20m circle, if that makes sense? He has never bucked whilst I'm on board.

Do I speak to my vet first or the back lady? Or do I explain what I have just done so above and see what they think, how do you then diagnose KS?

Thanks for any info that you may have.
 
It does sound like he has a back issues and kissing spine can cause those symptoms but so can damage to the Supraspinous ligament. May be worth getting his back x rayed and or scanned.
 
Hey there, sounds like he has some soreness but it doesnt have to be KS... I would get your vet out to discuss method of investigating further. I had been suspecting something was wrong with my mare for a while until I finally went through vet route and full check-ups including variety of scans. She doesn't have KS - I still don't know for sure why her back had got so bad but had her saddle changed since. She is now better than she has been in years. Suspect old saddle didnt help despite it being checked by various saddle fitters regularly. Maybe have your saddle fit checked by different person but would definately also say vet if in doubt.
 
My horse slowly lost performance, he didn't step through with his right hind particularly on the right rein, and got to the point that he tried to kill you when you came near him with the saddle and would plant his feet on the way to the mounting block. He never put a single buck in when I was on board though, poor boy. He also started to refuse when jumping, he would be absolutely fine and then out of no where would stop into the bottom of the fence. My vet at the time found so many things wrong with him, all foot or leg related that the list is too long to type even though my gut feeling was the back and I kept saying the problem was higher up. This vet was very well respected in our area but felt that he could treat my horse without referral, which I again requested several times. I also worked my way through several different back people and had his saddle fitted by Nathaniel Underwood. Long story short, go with your gut feeling, kissing spines can creep up on you, it can be so slow in it's onset that you miss some of the signs. It's worth calling the vet out to put your mind at rest, but as a friend (who is a vet) told me, only let the first line vet have 2 attempts at finding a problem and then insist on a referral, as, if you are insured, your money will be gone before you know it!
 
I really feel for you but it does sound like Kissing spine as my horse had all those symptoms, I originally called the vet as my horse was lame on off hind and no reason could be found, all her legs were xrayed and nothing showed, the vet mentioned that she thought it may be kissing spine so she was xrayed and it was found it was.
 
Sounds a lot like my horse, he has just had a bone scan done and they found hot spots in one hock and his sacarollic area. Get the vet out and get your horse referred if necessary for the scan. My vet saw my horse and said it was cheaper to refer him for a full body scan than to do a full lameness check with nerve blocking etc. My horse was not lame but was very reluctant to work forward either ridden or on the lunge. His back legs also did not follow the front they went out to the side.
 
Im having the same problems :(
horse wont work correctly on the left rein,cringes when I put the saddle on but is fine in all paces on the lunge with a saddle on, until I get on!
She also jumped well rarely with a pole down but recently she refuses and wont go forward, just rears. Getting the vet out on friday, have also had numerous physio sessions!
Horses! :(
 
My horse didn't like me riding him bareback, was good with his front shoes, but didn't like his hind shoes being done, was sensitive with his saddle, was short coupled and had a slight dippy back, those were the prelim signs that i now know were related, but

The secoundary signs (when I got my vet involved) were dipping back when saddled, not wanting his bridle on (the muscles around his poll were sore), not wanting to go down a steep ramp out of the lorry, slowing down when going downhill when ridden, rushing his fences and stopping, he also found it difficlt to canter a 20m circle, but vet classed him as 1/10th lame, he was also intermitently lame. He also found it hard to collect canter,

I had a back person up regulary and saddle checked every 3-6 mths, usually back person referral from vet, it wasn't until i got a more senior vet to come and look at him that KS was decided on as a possibility, but xrays confirmed it, so get a good equine vet to have a look, as my 'back expert' missed it, and if you are still unsure get xrays done as this will prove or disprove it.
 
my horse was diagnosed with KS last week also the left side sacrioliac and proximal suspensory desmitis in the right hind( alot going on) but only found through having a bone scan --8 weeks box rest with 5 - 20 minutes build up walk in hand twice a day over the 8 weeks then back for checkup to see if surgery will be needed

symptoms were

she did not seem to want to go forward freely in trot or canter in the school was very very tense when she did go she was rushing every movement

hacking out was fine on a long rein in walk nothing unsual until we are coming home (down steep hill)and she changed by tensing and almost curling up in a ball and backing up spinning would not go forward banging into cars, walls anything that was the way
she had never done this before and nothing had happened to scare her--
 
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