Is There A Cure For Kissing Spine In Horses?

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.

How do you help a horse with a kissing spine?

Other methods that your vet may recommend to help control the pain and inflammation associated with kissing spines include:

1. shock wave therapy.
2. therapeutic ultrasound.
3. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
4. muscle relaxants.
5. chiropractic.
6. acupuncture.

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 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.

What is the surgery for kissing spine?

Interspinous Ligament Desmotomy
This procedure aims to cut the ligament between the spinous processes of the affected vertebrae, removing the source of pain and re-establishing mobility. While your horse is under standing sedation, the surgeon will make small incisions above the areas of kissing spine.

What causes kissing spine?

This condition is caused by multiple factors including conformation issues, genetic predispositions, poor posture, improper conditioning, and training under saddle at a very young age. Horses with kissing spine do not always develop symptoms, but many horses with this condition experience back pain.

Can a saddle cause kissing spine?

As I suggested in our first post, horses hollow their backs in response to saddles that create pain. This is the principal cause of Kissing Spine.

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.

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 degenerative?

Baastrup Syndrome – Physiopedia Definition/Description Baastrup’s Disease, generally known as Kissing Spine, is characterised by degenerative changes of both the spinous processes and interspinous soft tissues of two neighbouring vertebrae.

How do you spot a kissing spine?

How do I know my horse has kissing spine?

1. Back pain when pressure is applied along the spine and muscles adjacent.
2. Discomfort, tail swishing and ears back when the saddle is placed on the back.
3. Changes in ridden work such as unwillingness to go forward, stopping when jumping, bucking or general poor performance.

Can kissing spine be prevented?

As kissing spines is a naturally occurring, progressive condition, prevention isn’t possible. There are, however, some things that can be done to help reduce the risk. Experts believe there’s likely to be a genetic component to kissing spines, so breeding from known sufferers should be considered very carefully.

How long is recovery from kissing spine?

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.

Is spine surgery serious?

With any surgery, there is the risk of complications. When surgery is done near the spine and spinal cord, these complications (if they occur) can be very serious. Complications could involve subsequent pain and impairment and the need for additional surgery.

Is spine surgery life threatening?

According to studies, the mortality rate of these procedures is relatively low. According to one study, the mortality rate among 803,949 patients who had undergone a lumbar spine surgery was reported as 0.13%. It is also rare for spinal surgery to cause complications.

How do you build a horse’s topline?

Six Easy Steps To Beef Up Your Horse’s Topline

1. Assess your situation. Before trying out new riding or lunging exercises, it’s important to first take a look at your horse’s routine and training regiment.
2. Stretching.
3. Backing up.
4. Cavaletti on the lunge or under saddle.
5. Hill work.
6. When in doubt, ride less with your hands.

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

“Depending on how many spaces I have to operate on, a horse with one to three spaces are typically being legged up in 60 days,” Honnas said. “If it is four or more spaces it is a minimum of 90 days of rest and then more spaces than that at least four months.

Can you ride a horse with a dipped back?

Whether a swaybacked horse can be ridden depends on the severity of the sway and the horse’s expected activity. Mild deformation in a horse gentle enough for small children to ride quietly may be perfectly acceptable.

Do horses understand human affection?

In one study, the heart rhythms of horses and humans were analyzed over the course of various interactions with one another. The findings indicated that horses care capable of detecting when a human is expressing and projecting positive feelings towards them and is likely to reciprocate those positive feelings.

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.

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.