Their backs are often sore to the touch. 7] Consistent movement in this posture will bring the dorsal spinous processes closer together, resulting in kissing spine. Therapeutic ultrasound. Problem is folks need to get educated before passing opinions! The presence of kissing spines is not necessarily a cause for concern, but it may be considered as a predisposing factor for back pain. Chiropractic and acupuncture therapies, as well as therapeutic ultrasound, may also be utilized. It's easy to determine when kissing spines are the cause of your horse's bad behavior. Each vertebra has a bony prominence that sticks up—the spinous process. When the bones of a horse's spinous processes rub together, you know there is bound to be pain and inflammation in the joints. What Causes Kissing Spine in Horses? Download a printable pdf of this article here. As might be expected treatments can vary.
Kissing spines tend to affect the area in the middle of your horse's back, around vertebrates T16 towards the back to L2-3. Unfortunately, this may be a career-ending illness. Ready to learn all about what is kissing spine in horses? Overriding (or impinging) dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP), or "kissing spines", occur when vertebrae in the spine are too close together, rather than being spaced apart as in a healthy spine. When a horse's internal supports, aka the muscles, in the topline and back, are not trained properly, and are weak or held in the wrong manner, it can cause the bones to rub together, resulting in extreme pain. Negative plantar angle refers to a collapsing of the hind heels or tipping up of the coffin bone. In most horses you can feel the tops of the spines as you touch the groove in the back. How can kissing spines be prevented? While your horse is under standing sedation, the surgeon will make small incisions above the areas of kissing spine. Accompanying Conditions.
Kissing spine surgery for horses entails using surgical intervention on the sections of the spinous processes or ligaments in the area that are causing your horse pain. Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games Technology Travel. In the following picture on the left two dorsal spinous processes are seen with the correct relationship along with the attached ribs. Injections to the joints where the spinous processes are rubbing can help alleviate pain and inflammation. Among 50, 000 chromosome locations examined, a single allele location (one-half of two inherited genes) was associated with a greater likelihood of kissing spines.
2017-07-25 12:55 PM. What type of equipment need for kissing spine horses? Horse Nation writer Katelin Parsons reflects on her experience with kissing spines surgery and shares what she's learned since having her horse undergo the procedure. Many studies have been made to determine the prevalence of kissing spines in horses. If you see kissing spines on radiographs taken during a pre-purchase exam, you should RUN, not walk, away. SHOP: Equine Fitness]. What Horses May be Affected by Kissing Spines. If I could go back, I would not put my horse through surgery again. I don't recommend a treeless saddle because it concentrates too much pressure on one part of the back. This group concluded that radiographs of the back should not be included in a standard pre-purchase protocol at all. Assessing rider weight and balance. Each of these vertebrae has a protrusion of bone at its midline that points straight up toward his back—similar to the dorsal fin of a fish. Focus on working with a trainer who can help you improve your horse's posture and avoid the riding no-no list we mentioned above. Tension or pain in the back is often one of the first signs an owner notices when there's discomfort somewhere else in the body.
Surgical treatment is also an option in severe cases. Equine kissing spine in horses is generally seen as a preventable disease that can be managed fairly easily, though there are some cases where heritability plays a role. If a horse does not improve with conservative therapy or it's a more advanced case, the veterinarian might recommend surgery. General irritability when moving. Article First Published June 2012. Honnas sees this frequently in pre-purchase exams.
You notice that when you touch or massage the back of your horse's neck, their muscles tense up, and they have a difficult time relaxing them again. Resents grooming, especially over the back area. In fact, most kissing spines are seen between T14 - T15 and T15 - T16, where the slant of the spinous processes change direction from a slight angle backward to a slight angle forward. For the actual surgery, the surgeon makes a vertical incision that would transect the ISL which is depicted as the area where there are red arrows. Does everyone agree? — Coldiron is an award-winning writer and non-pro rider on the Appaloosa circuit. WYOracer - 2017-07-24 7:41 PM I am just wondering what this does to a horse's sellability? I think that's why so many people choose surgery, especially when some vets are advising owners to resume riding after only one month. The Truth: Kissing spines can actually be successfully managed in most horses with a variety of treatments. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Live/Upcoming Webcasts. For more information: UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Integrative Sports Medicine Service: UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Surgery and Lameness Service: *This article may not be reproduced without the written consent of the UC Davis Center for Equine Health.
The question isn't understanding the more obviously affected horse; instead, it's the asymptomatic horses. Record my horse's information (Free). Either way, when these two conditions are both present or are related to each other's development, you need to tackle a few key problems to reduce kissing spine symptoms in horses: - Reduce cartilage breakdown. You have probably heard about joint injections around the barn for various conditions. Lameness appears to alter the biomechanics and movement of horses' backs, which can lead to muscle tension, pain and muscle wastage as a result of reduced muscle use. Our maximum strength formula is perfect for horses that are ageing, experiencing arthritis and stiffness, are in training and competition, or under a heavy workload. As you can see the finger like spinous processes are either touching the adjacent process (or kissing) and in some cases actually overlapping.
SHOP: Support Equine Joint Health]. Chiropractic care: Helps restore your horse's joints to a natural range of motion. Although ostectomy can be an effective treatment (one study reported 72% of horses returning to full athletic function), it is typically performed under general anesthesia, requires months of rehabilitation and has a fairly high risk of complications. With correct diagnosis and if there are no other causes of pain contributing to your horse's poor performance, the prognosis for his return to athletic activity is good. "Nobody knows what causes it.