How Do You Handle Kissing Spine In Horses?

Horses with kissing spines can be treated with shock wave therapy, injections of corticosteroids over the withers, back, and croup to reduce inflammation, and specific exercise programs. Changing or refitting saddles is helpful for many horses.

How do you help a horse with a kissing spine?

How are kissing spines treated? Treatment for kissing spines begins with making the horse more comfortable. This may be achieved through pain reduction, muscle relaxation, and exercises to stretch and strengthen back and abdominal muscles, stabilize posture, and improve mobility.

Is kissing spine manageable?

Most horses diagnosed with kissing spine are able to return to ridden work after appropriate veterinary treatment and a recommended rehab programme is completed. In some cases they may be unable to return to the same level of work as before, but are comfortable when working at a lower level.

Are horses with kissing spine in pain?

In this condition the normal spaces between the spinous processes of the horse’s vertebral column are reduced. In some horses pain can arise from the bone-to-bone contact and disruption to the ligament between the processes.

How does a horse react with kissing spine?

Kissing spines, also known as Dorsal Spinous Process (DSP) impingement or over-riding dorsal spinous processes, is a cause of back pain, poor or reduced performance and occasionally low-grade lameness in the horse. Kissing spines can however be present in many horses without any clinical symptoms.

How much does kissing spine surgery cost for a horse?

Mostly due to the general anesthesia involved, the cost of this surgery is higher – around $2,500-$3,000, generally. And due to the level of invasiveness, the horse may take several weeks longer to recover once home.

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.

What is the recovery time for 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.

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.

Is kissing spine common?

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.

How do you massage a horse with a sore back?

Starting near his withers where the longissimus dorsi begins, place the palm or heel of your hand on the muscle, push in gently, then release. Keep your elbow bent during this motion, which needs to be soft, yet firm. Work your way down the muscle, moving slowly and calmly.

What does it mean when a horse turns his back on you?

What’s our saying? Two eyes are always better than two heels. The ultimate sign of disrespect is when a horse turns his butt towards you when you enter a stall. If you notice that your horse has this habit, your first step is to start the Fundamentals with him, and that begins with the roundpenning exercises.

What age do horses get kissing spine?

It’s most commonly found in the middle of a horse’s back under the saddle region, but can occur anywhere along the spine. It’s a progressive condition that usually affects horses aged between seven and 14 and is quite common in larger breeds, particularly Thoroughbreds, but rare in ponies.

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.

What does it mean when a horse blows in your face?

show affection
Horses will show affection by gently blowing air on each other through their nostrils.When a horse blows on your face, it is a sign they see you as a trusty companion. Horses will breathe in your face if they see you as part of their family. It is one of the top ways horses show affection to the ones they love.

How do you tell if a horse doesn’t like you?

Common Displayed Behaviors:

1. dragging you to a patch of grass in order to graze.
2. refusing to walk any faster when being led.
3. jerking their head up when you ask them to lower it.
4. not picking up their feet when asked.
5. refusing to go forward.
6. pulling back on the lead rope when tied.
7. refusing to move over as you groom them.

What do horses eyes tell you?

The movements of your horse’s eyes tell you not just what he’s thinking but also where his attention is focused: A horse with a “soft” eye is generally relaxed. Tension. As with tension around the muzzle, tightening of the muscles around the eyes is a subtle, early sign of stress, fear or discomfort.

Is back surgery very painful?

Pain is normal in the weeks following back surgery, as tissues heal, nerves regain normal function, and inflammation decreases. However, some people may have pain beyond the three to six month period that is considered a normal healing time.

How many hours does spine surgery take?

It relieves pressure on the nerves and decreases symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain and weakness. Surgery will last approximately 2 to 3 hours. You will be in the hospital approximately 3 days. What is a Lumbar (Low Back) Discectomy?

How painful is recovery from back surgery?

After surgery, you can expect your back to feel stiff and sore. You may have trouble sitting or standing in one position for very long and may need pain medicine in the weeks after your surgery. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to get back to doing simple activities, such as light housework.

Where do you lean when kissing?

The results showed that more than two thirds of the kissing individuals had a bias for turning their heads to the right. When initiating a kissing “move” (men were 15 times more likely to initiate the kiss) right-handed people leaned right and left-handed people leaned left.