Mitchyden
Well-Known Member
If a horse had kissing spines, would it fail a flexion test?
Kissing Spines
- Thread starter Mitchyden
- Start date
Wagtail
Horse servant
Possibly, but not necessarily. The flexion test is usually applied to detect possible bone spavin in the hocks, or problems in other joints such as the fetlocks and knees. It is possible, that holding a horse's legs flexed would also tax other parts of the horse and if its back is sore, then it could affect that too.
Mitchyden
Well-Known Member
I'm just getting a bit paranoid as my horse was showing all the symptons of a bone spavin so I had the vet out and they went through the lunging and flexion tests etc. She went from sound in a straight line to 3/10th's lame after a flexion. She's going for her xrays to confirm a spavin in a fortnight but now I'm worrying it's something more.
When I tack her up, she is ok when the saddle is put on but when you girth it up she starts shifting her weight from one front foot to another and I cannot see how this is spavin related. She is extremely lazy to ride and it takes a good 20 mins plus to get her in an outline. Of course this could be because of the possible spavin but surely not the saddle problem?
When I tack her up, she is ok when the saddle is put on but when you girth it up she starts shifting her weight from one front foot to another and I cannot see how this is spavin related. She is extremely lazy to ride and it takes a good 20 mins plus to get her in an outline. Of course this could be because of the possible spavin but surely not the saddle problem?
Wagtail
Horse servant
My horse has bone spavin and very severe kissing spines. He was okay with the saddle but after girthing up, when he moved off he could 'explode'. He became less and less forward going (after having been very forward) and found it difficult to canter on a circle. Often kissing spines and hock problems coincide as one condition can cause the other due to the horse compensating for pain. If she were mine, I would ask for her back to be examined and possibly xrayed. A skilled vet can feel if the spinal processes are very close, but the only real diagnosis is by xray. I hope you get to the bottom of your girl's problems.