kissing spines

[loui]

Could somone go into this with some detail, all i know is that it is something to do with their spine lol,

I will tell you why if i get any replies!!

X x X
Thanks ;D ;D

[jinks]

its where parts of the vertabrae rub together usually one or more of them will have extra bone growth on them or they are deformed. My sisters horse has this in the neck and was a hopeful dressage horse but she kept tripping and moving her legs strangley sometimes the kissing spine in her case is near to the spinal cord and sometimes presses on it, she did not seem to be in pain, she has been retired since it was found.

A girl at my yard has a horse that has this right where the saddle sits he has not been ridden for a couple of years, he has had sonic treatment on his back which seems to have broken downs some of the extra bone and he is far more comfortable, wether he can ever be ridden again is another question, as he had a lot of pain there so associates saddle with this pain, he has had it on his back a few times now with not too many issues but I do not know if she will ride him again though which is a shame as he is a beautiful horse with fantastic paces and only about 8.
I think there are several treatments one as above the other one I can think of is surgery if the bone growth is not too near the cord it can be take off, well I think they take to top off of the vertabrae.
Personnaly if I have a horse with this issue in the area of the saddle I would not expect to be able to ride again due to pressure put in that area and possible pain to the horse.

[nicole]

Loui,

You might want to contact KAS if you want someone to discuss this with, her mare Fire has kissing spine and I am sure she is pretty much an expert by now.

[tilly]

My mare has KS just behind the saddle area. It is low grade, a slight impingment of three vertabrea. But we are not sure how much pain this is causing her, but her back was so tight all down the lumber region and back legs that she was in considerable pain. So we don't know whether the back problem caused the KS or the KS caused the back problem. She is out of work permenantly ridden wise, but i can break her to drive next year, and see how she goes. Treatment was 4 sessions of deep physio under sedation, one without sedation, electrotherapy and lazor treatment daily for a period of 2 weeks. Her back is good now. I was advised not to put her through the op as it is very traumatic and has varying degrees of success.

[annahindley]

I just wanted to addd that all the info here is good and is based on proper diagnosis. However, just as a word of caution, alot of people talk about horses having KS without a proper diagnosis - it is a very overused term. Without imaging of some kind, it cannot be confirmed. I have heard people say my horse had KS and is now a show jumper and is absolutely fine- when what they mean is my horse had a sore back, someone on the yard called it KS and it never was! This is such an important condition it is a shame to throw the term about as it confuses people when they do get a proper diagnosis.

[tilly]

That's so true. People have said to me, 'are you sure she has it, does it actualy exist...' Mine was diagnosed through x-rays, i think this would be the only way. It can be as loose a term as 'cold-backed', another term i detest!!

[annahindley]

I'd ban that one too tilly!

[natalia]

I Know of a horse (livery on old yard) who had this problem, she had the op, the KS was in the saddle region. She is now back in full work.

[kas]

It all depends on the horse, I've put some info up about my horse on the Fire photos thread. In her case she isn't a suitable candidate for the op, and it's thought that there is something more than KS going on.
Has your horse got it then Loui?

[kas]

Up 4 Loui