Kissing Spines Rehab and Recovery

[perksyxo]

Hi all long time reader first time poster here.

Unfortunately, I had the crushing news my 6 year old gelding has kissing spines, I have owned him 3 years and found he was sore over his back end when I first got him and we injected his SI and rehabbed and he has gone really well up until this last month or so and randomly bolting in the canter. Back when we did his SI I did ask for back xrays but was advised he shows no discomfort in the back so we didn't bother. However, this time round I asked again so we could clear up if there was any issues and he has 4 vertebrae touching and two are rubbing and causing wear.

I wanted to hear people's experiences with kissing spines and the rehab programmes. We have steroid medicated and been advised 6 weeks in hand back strengthening and I'm waiting for my physio to send over exercises but I wanted to hear people's experiences on whether medication over surgery is actually successful. I'm not convinced medicating his kissing spines will work but I'd rather try then go straight for surgery.

Just hoping someone can point me in right direction on some stuff I can read and follow, first time experiencing kissing spines and whilst I know what it is I don't know the realistic outcomes for my gelding now. How likely will we go on to being able to compete again?

Thanks all

 

[sbloom]

I would focus on posture and healthy movement patterns. There are a lot of resources coming through but the crucial.thing is finding the programmes that do actually change the way the horse moves rather than trying to "strengthen" the back/whole horse.

See medication as a window of opportunity to do this work and I'd argue it may take a fair bit longer than 6 weeks.

Some of the simple, basic postural work that healthy horses benefit from can be used for rehab cases, have a read around the featured posts and group posts in the Facebook group Slow Walk Work. If you can cope with the verbose approach etc then Science of Motion has lots of free essays and a particular take, a modern understanding rooted in classical dressage, on healthy movement patterns. One day I'll do his "Simple" course.

Search "rehab" and "posture" here in HHO too

 

[SEL]

How's your hoof balance? Medication is OK as a first point of call to giving you time free of pain to see if you can rehab the back to improve their posture.

I do know one post surgery that is out eventing. They do a lot to keep him happy and swear by Indiba therapy - never used it myself but hear good things.

 

[oldjumper]

Hi all long time reader first time poster here.

Unfortunately, I had the crushing news my 6 year old gelding has kissing spines, I have owned him 3 years and found he was sore over his back end when I first got him and we injected his SI and rehabbed and he has gone really well up until this last month or so and randomly bolting in the canter. Back when we did his SI I did ask for back xrays but was advised he shows no discomfort in the back so we didn't bother. However, this time round I asked again so we could clear up if there was any issues and he has 4 vertebrae touching and two are rubbing and causing wear.

I wanted to hear people's experiences with kissing spines and the rehab programmes. We have steroid medicated and been advised 6 weeks in hand back strengthening and I'm waiting for my physio to send over exercises but I wanted to hear people's experiences on whether medication over surgery is actually successful. I'm not convinced medicating his kissing spines will work but I'd rather try then go straight for surgery.

Just hoping someone can point me in right direction on some stuff I can read and follow, first time experiencing kissing spines and whilst I know what it is I don't know the realistic outcomes for my gelding now. How likely will we go on to being able to compete again?

Thanks all

 

[oldjumper]

Sorry to hear this. My horse was diagnosed 5 years ago when he was 14. Only advice I can give is get a rehab plan from your vet and stick to it - every day. I found pesoa v useful and effective though I know they’re not flavour of the month! My horse had to have a second injection a few months later but hasn’t needed one since. Once I was back in the saddle I found having weekly lesson very helpful to have eyes on the ground to ensure he was moving correctly - and I was riding correctly to ensure this. The thing to realise is ‘rehab’ isn’t for a set period of time - it’s a permanent way of doing things forever. Sounds daunting but I’ve found it’s become 2nd nature and in our case I have a horse that carries himself better and is a wonderful ride. Very best of luck.

 

[perksyxo]

Sorry to hear this. My horse was diagnosed 5 years ago when he was 14. Only advice I can give is get a rehab plan from your vet and stick to it - every day. I found pesoa v useful and effective though I know they’re not flavour of the month! My horse had to have a second injection a few months later but hasn’t needed one since. Once I was back in the saddle I found having weekly lesson very helpful to have eyes on the ground to ensure he was moving correctly - and I was riding correctly to ensure this. The thing to realise is ‘rehab’ isn’t for a set period of time - it’s a permanent way of doing things forever. Sounds daunting but I’ve found it’s become 2nd nature and in our case I have a horse that carries himself better and is a wonderful ride. Very best of luck.

Thank you for that, the vets gave a pretty vague plan of like pole work, pessoa, long lining but nothing really solid to follow.

Would you mind sharing what kind of routine you had?

 

[Birker2020]

My boy was diagnosed, had toomuch else wrong, hocks, SI, coffin joints.

Had SI and spine medicated twice 4 months apart but had so much going on I had to retire him. I spent a good while just doing groundwork with him which I had hoped might make a difference but it didn't.

I did lots of pessoa lunging, raised poles, labyrinths, stretches, reining back with head down, all on the ground. Also fed myoplast which is amazing stuff. You can see his whole body watch better able to support the weight of a rider and his frame was able to carry him better.

Each horse is an individual though and each reacts differently. If Lari wasn't so badly affected everywhere else I'd have been tempted to have had the ligament snip or shave operation but there didn't seem much point when he was so compromised in so many other areas. So don't lose hope if I sound negative, suggest you get a good physio to advise.

I have a super one I can recommend if your West Mids or Warks based.

He was very reactive, you can see this on ' new saddle' fit day.

 

[sbloom]

Please please don't use a Pessoa. Get over to equitopiacenter.com, take out a month's membership and get reading on topline, on posture, balance, and you might find something explaining specifically why not to use gadgets.

A horse needs to lift through the shoulders to really give better spacing through the spinal processes. You can force this by pretzelling them, lowering the head, booting the hind end under, but this is not helping the horse better resist the physical forces applying to it (such as improving the ability of the hind end to decelerate, almost the opposite of what the Pessoa does to the hind legs where they are driven under and work with little compression of the joints or healthy flexion of the pelvis. It can't help them to better lift the rider and places more weight on the forehand as soon as the head is lowered. Some systems of rehab do lower the head but there's always a cost to the front legs which has to be compensated for.

Any vet or bodyworker that recommends restricting the horse's balancing rod, the head and neck, as part of rehab is seriously out of date.

Managed to find this quickly

https://www.facebook.com/yasminstuartequinephysio/posts/pfbid0ZRyii49EknS65mnpsGitAZcfyqANXQyfJxTouZd3z3qxtVNaE2TZeicRRJQHQYNnl

For those interested, follow Science of Motion, Annie Dillon, Diana Waters and Lothian Equine Advanced Performance Therapy for all sorts of goodies on rehab and posture. I'm planning a podcast/vlog with the latter and an Enlightened Equitation trainer about rehab very soon.