What Age Do Horses Get Kissing Spine?

Horses are most commonly diagnosed around 5 to 10 years of age, but younger and older horses can develop it, too. Kissing spines typically occur in the last few thoracic vertebrae—right where a saddle and rider would sit along the horse’s back. Horses with kissing spines can demonstrate a variety of clinical signs.

How do I know if my horse has a kissing spine?

The signs of kissing spine can be subtle and are non-specific, but may include: The horse showing signs of discomfort (such as shifting weight, pulling faces, biting) when being groomed over the back or when pressure is applied to the back such as when the saddle is put on or girthed up.

How common is kissing spine in horses?

Kissing Spines are the most common cause of primary back pain in the horse, and seem more prevalent in thoroughbreds, horses five years of age and under, and dressage horses. The condition also occurs in warmbloods and quarter horses, as well as horses that jump, including hunters, jumpers, and event horses.

Can horses develop kissing spine?

Kissing spines refers to a condition in horses in which two or more of the spinous processes (the flanges of bone sticking up from each vertebra in the spine) are positioned so that they touch or rub against each other. Horse with kissing spines may develop back pain, bone cysts, arthritic changes, and other problems.

Is kissing spine curable horses?

The prognosis for horses with this condition is much better today. The majority of horses with kissing spine can return to work after following a veterinarian-recommended treatment plan. Treatments in use today include surgery, joint injections and non-invasive rehabilitation.

What are 3 symptoms that a horse may exhibit when he she is having back pain?

Symptoms of Back Pain

• Poor performance/reduced performance which may progress to behavioral problems (rearing/bucking/stopping or running out at fences).
• Discomfort to grooming or pressure over the back.
• Resistance to saddling, increased “girthiness” or abnormal gait after being saddled.

Is kissing spine genetic?

Susceptibility to “kissing spines” in horses may be genetic.

What does kissing spine feel like?

Patients with Kissing Spine often complain about back pain, more specifically, midline pain that radiates distally and proximally, increasing on extension and reducing on flexion. This abnormal contact between adjacent spinous processes can lead to neoarthrosis and formation of an adventitious bursa.

Can you breed from a mare with kissing spine?

As with type of work, if your mare has kissing spines due to injury, it is less likely to be passed onto her offspring. As with all things involved in breeding horses, a large amount of luck and good management is required.

How do you exercise a horse with a kissing spine?

Quite simply a small circle around a cone, barrel or block at the walk, with long reins and lots of inside bend. This stretches the outside of the body and helps the horse to let go of their lateral back tension. Don’t insist, encourage.

How do I know if my horse is in pain?

Signs of Pain in Horses

1. Lameness or abnormal gait.
2. Unusual posture.
3. Shifting weight from one leg to another.
4. Muscle tremors.
5. Abnormal sweating.
6. Lying down more than usual.
7. Mood or temperament changes.
8. Decreased appetite.

How do you know if your horse is suffering?

any signs of pain or discomfort, including reluctance to move, pawing at the ground, rolling, increased rate of respiration and sweating. reluctance to stand or inability to stand. any sign of injury or lameness, including puncture wounds.

How do horses act when in pain?

A horse that is grinding his teeth, staring at his belly, or just acting unusually quiet or dull can be signaling some sort of discomfort. Patchy sweating, especially when the horse is not being worked, is also a sign of pain.

Is kissing spine arthritis?

Kissing spines is also a form of osteoarthritis. The kissing spines are located at the top of the spine. In this condition, the spinal processes of two vertebrae touch each other. By touching the bone parts, a local irritation of the bone / cartilage occurs and new bone is created.

What happens in kissing spine surgery?

The horse is sedated and after injecting local anesthetic small incisions are made through the skin over the affected processes under X-ray guidance. The front of each affected process is then removed. Following this the incisions are closed with absorbable sutures under the skin and skin staples.

How do I make my horse more forward?

If you can’t leave the arena, try some polework or do some fast interval work and short sprints with your horse to get their blood up and anticipating the forward movement.

What is a roach back horse?

Roach back, known also as kyphosis, occurs occasionally in young horses that grow rapidly. Typically, onset happens after weaning at six to nine months of age. The dorsal processes of the lumbar vertebrae are unusually tall, giving the animal a characteristic hump-backed appearance.

Is kissing spine a disease?

Baastrup’s disease (kissing spine syndrome) is a term referring to close approximation of adjacent spinous processes due to degenerative changes of the spine. Baastrup’s disease usually affects the lumbar spine, with L4-L5 being the most commonly affected level.

Why is kissing neck so sensitive?

The neck is also a super sensitive area. The nape of the neck is packed with nerve endings, so even the slightest touch can drive you wild. It builds the anticipation for what’s to come next. If you’re the one giving the neck kiss, it can also be a turn-on to see how your partner reacts to it.

Why do horses fall after mating?

The most likely reason that mares lie down after mating is because they are overwhelmed and need to rest to bring their heart rate back down to normal levels. Stallions can be aggressive and hyperactive when courting and mating, and horses are socially sensitive creatures.

How long does it take a horse to recover from kissing spine surgery?

Ongoing Care. After any kissing spines surgery, Dr. Davis will put the horse on stall rest for two weeks until the sutures come out and the incision is healed. Then he’ll start the horse on a regimen of stretching for two weeks.