Kissing spines?

[Kirsty87]

Hi guys I'm going for X rays for mine but it's hard to wait for answers, impatient aha. If a horse can canter and gallop about in their field but objects to a rider cantering on them (is it likely ks or arthritis/tack etc) are they capable of it without a rider if its ks? Thank you in advance x

 

[be positive]

One of my liveries has just been xrayed and has 3 minor KS, she is not lame, galloped and jumped with a rider on but was not performing as well as she should have, in the field is perfectly normal, until you see the xrays you cannot really guess the outcome as it will depend on how many processes are involved, how far gone the damage is and what is going on around them or even in other parts of the body as they are often secondary to other issues, ours is doing a non surgical rehab as the first step.

 

[ohmissbrittany]

https://www.xlvets.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletter-files/Equine_text.pdf

Quite often kissing spines is what you would call an "incidental finding" - lots of horses have it with no actual performance decline or clinical symptoms. So it's pretty debateable if that is your true cause. I have seen horses "develop" kissing spines and "cured" with core work simply because of posture/conformation. KS is often comorbid with things like ulcers, hock arthritis, etc... so again, really more an art than a science on breaking the cause/effect loop in many, if not most cases.

If it's fine longeing and in the field but bucks with a rider, I'd check tack fit as a first stop. Teeth next. Then a lameness evaluation.

 

[Kirsty87]

One of my liveries has just been xrayed and has 3 minor KS, she is not lame, galloped and jumped with a rider on but was not performing as well as she should have, in the field is perfectly normal, until you see the xrays you cannot really guess the outcome as it will depend on how many processes are involved, how far gone the damage is and what is going on around them or even in other parts of the body as they are often secondary to other issues, ours is doing a non surgical rehab as the first step.

Thank you, very informative. X

 

[Kirsty87]

https://www.xlvets.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletter-files/Equine_text.pdf

Quite often kissing spines is what you would call an "incidental finding" - lots of horses have it with no actual performance decline or clinical symptoms. So it's pretty debateable if that is your true cause. I have seen horses "develop" kissing spines and "cured" with core work simply because of posture/conformation. KS is often comorbid with things like ulcers, hock arthritis, etc... so again, really more an art than a science on breaking the cause/effect loop in many, if not most cases.

If it's fine longeing and in the field but bucks with a rider, I'd check tack fit as a first stop. Teeth next. Then a lameness evaluation.

Thanks very much, great to have feedback x

 

[Hormonal Filly]

@Kirsty87 You're doing the right thing getting the back x-rayed. My mare would walk trot and canter but was extremely grumpy to canter and difficult to get going. She also started rearing and just acting grumpy in general. Never lame, moved well. She had severe kissing spine when we x-rayed, mind 2 vets told me she wasn't a typical kissing spine horse so glad I pushed for it.

A huge number of horses have kissing spine, its just undetected.

 

[Kirsty87]

@Kirsty87 You're doing the right thing getting the back x-rayed. My mare would walk trot and canter but was extremely grumpy to canter and difficult to get going. She also started rearing and just acting grumpy in general. Never lame, moved well. She had severe kissing spine when we x-rayed, mind 2 vets told me she wasn't a typical kissing spine horse so glad I pushed for it.

A huge number of horses have kissing spine, its just undetected.

God 😣 sounds like my girl. What was your course of action, surgery? And then what type of rehab work did you do? No experience with ks, thank you for replying x

 

[Kirsty87]

@Kirsty87 You're doing the right thing getting the back x-rayed. My mare would walk trot and canter but was extremely grumpy to canter and difficult to get going. She also started rearing and just acting grumpy in general. Never lame, moved well. She had severe kissing spine when we x-rayed, mind 2 vets told me she wasn't a typical kissing spine horse so glad I pushed for it.

A huge number of horses have kissing spine, its just undetected.

Sorry can you tell me, mine failed the pen test as she showed no reaction. Is that what yours did? Does that sound like ks too? X

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't put any store by the pen test as a diagnosis for kissing spines.

The x rays you are waiting for on Tuesday will tell you if she has kissing spines, but she sounds like she has a lot more going on than that:

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...hocks-😔-advice-please-x.782121/#post-14134944


.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

God 😣 sounds like my girl. What was your course of action, surgery? And then what type of rehab work did you do? No experience with ks, thank you for replying x

She had surgery to shave down the processes that were touching. Box rest for 4 weeks followed by lots of long reining and lunging long and low on a big circle. The vets give a written rehab plan so its easy to follow.

Sorry can you tell me, mine failed the pen test as she showed no reaction. Is that what yours did? Does that sound like ks too? X

Never heard of the pen test in all honesty? But looking at your other post it sounds like she has quite a bit going on. My mare had secondary severely arthritic hocks, bad ulcers and a host of other issues. Well worth getting her x-rayed to see whats underlying. The vet can advise you whats best then

 

[Kirsty87]

She had surgery to shave down the processes that were touching. Box rest for 4 weeks followed by lots of long reining and lunging long and low on a big circle. The vets give a written rehab plan so its easy to follow.



Never heard of the pen test in all honesty? But looking at your other post it sounds like she has quite a bit going on. My mare had secondary severely arthritic hocks, bad ulcers and a host of other issues. Well worth getting her x-rayed to see whats underlying. The vet can advise you whats best then

Thank you, I will have to wait and see and go from there, helps to have some insight while waiting, appreciated x