Kissing Spines

[Chloe Lauchlan]

Hi

My horse has recently been diagnosed with grade 3 kissing spines. He has had injections but they have made little difference. It's a weird one as before he was diagnosed he would only be unlevel on the left rein and only when schooling. Jumping he was fine and hacking he was ok 99% of the time. He has lost alot of weight but is slowly putting it back on.

Again he had injections and to begin with there was no difference but as time is going on he is loosening off more. At the moment I am lungeing him long and low in walk and trot only and I am going to start hacking him in walk only as from saturday (2moro) I have had lots of different advice on what to do with him i.e turn him away for the summer - however he isnt that type of horse, he enjoys working and I think he will deteriorate too much.

I am living in Germany at the moment as my husband is in the forces so communication is a bit difficult!

I would like to put him on Bute for the forseeable future to keep the inflammation down or just until his back muscles are at the best they can be to support his spine. Sandro will be going out once the summer paddocks are ready and will be going from 7am until 7pm most days. I would like to get him a mag rug as a treatment for when he comes in from the field.

Does anyone have any other advice for me please?

Thankyou[/COLOR]

 

[classicalfan]

If you want to work him then you need to have someone there to help who knows what they are doing re long and low as opposed to low and round. It's important that he extends his outline and uses himself in the correct bio-mechanical way. His muscles need to be built up in the correct way to help support his spine and he has to learn to move differently to the way he is used to going.

I don't know where abouts you are in Germany but PM me for details of a trainer who works in Europe.

 

[opinionuk]

I have exactly the same problem as you I cannot get her sound on off hind she goes short now and again when she is being lunged. I am trying to get her long and low and she has had a cortisone injection and it has been suggested that I put her on bute but you must remember if you are intending to do any BS, BE competitions bute has now been banned.

What really puzzles me is why she has suddenly gone short in her stride, she is only 4 rising 5 and came from Ireland with a 5* vetting certificate so I didn't get her vetted or insured, it was obvious that when she was broken which they did in 6 weeks including jumping using spurs( all this info came from her breeder) she had been forced into a shape to look 'pretty' and she never works forward will only go in a collected canter even when she is out hacking as she find its so hard to work long and low, we are trying to 'reschool' her to work in that manner but she is struggling so much such a waste of what could have been a very talented mare :-(