My thoughts on Kissing Spines

Before I get into it, I just want to note that these are my thoughts, feelings, and opinions based on experiences from being a groom for over 10 years and my vet physio degree. Each person will have their own experiences and opinions, and there will be many other professionals who are much more practised is kissing spines (KS) anatomy, symptoms, and treatment than me.

 

Basically – don’t take my word as gospel!

 

KS seems to be something that’s become very prevalent in the horse industry over the last few years.

 

I remember when I first became a groom, that it wasn’t thought of as being that common, and it was a very extreme thing when diagnosed.

 

Now, for the question of, has it always been fairly common? Or are we just finding a new thing to hyper-focus on?

 

I’d suggest that KS has always been fairly prevalent, (especially in competition horses), but would be under a different name or condition.

 

I remember in the riding school I used to go to as a 10-year-old, an Arab cross who I’d have lessons on (called Aussie, who was awesome!) was described to me as ‘cold backed’.

 

Whenever I’d ride him, I’d be told to give him a long walk around and allow him to stretch his neck so he’d be ready to work.

 

Obviously, as an innocent 10-year-old, I just took this as truth and did as I was told.

 

Over the years, I’ve seen a few horses described as ‘cold backed’ or ones who need to have a lunge first with the saddle on to ‘get the bucks out’.

 

When I was young and inexperienced, I just assumed that this was common practise, and didn’t really think much of it.

 

But as I’ve grown, I’ve realised that a fair few of these horses probably actually had a degree of KS, or some other back related issue.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware that there are plenty of reasons besides KS, why a horse would need a long warm up, or extra preparation to be ridden.

 

And, as I get into talking about KS, I am mostly referring to competition and sport horses – ones who have been backed at a young age & have had a full-on career.

 

Like a lot of equine diagnosis, and conditions. Once you hear the word ‘kissing spines’ you immediately think; big problem, years or months of rehab, surgery, vet bills, financial loss, stress, they’ll never be the same again!

 

But, KS has a large amount of degree, it can be very subtle, to very severe. Typically, the horse will be showing significant behavioural changes before we even get close to severe.

 

I truly believe, that for the most part, KS is preventable.

 

I think that a majority of the time, it comes from horses being backed too early.

 

If you look at the above picture, a horses’ skeletal growth plates do not finish closing until they are 6+. And the last ones to close are along the spine.

 

I imagine you can tell where I’m going with this …

 

Many sport horses, racehorses in particular, are backed and worked as young as 18 months old!

 

At that age, the growth plates are not even halfway through closing, and now they have weight on their back & are expected to work.

 

I worked with a lovely ex-racer, called Robbie, who retired from his racing career at 3 years old … RETIRED at 3 years old.

 

It’s horrible to think how early he must have been backed & how much stress his body must have been under in those early years.

 

And did he have KS?

 

Of course he did.

 

He also had chronic stomach ulcers, a deformed front superficial digital flexor tendon, and wind sucked.

 

He did have a successful eventing career and was a very kind soul. (Which is probably the only reason he was able to continue being ridden!)

 

But I believe that his KS could have been completely prevented, if he had been backed later in life & at a slower rate, with focus on maintaining his strength and comfort.

 

He also may not have had his other issues, which may have been a direct result of his KS.

 

I understand this is only one example, and there will be some horses that are backed this young with no issues. But lets be honest, those are the exceptional ones.

 

And to me, it makes perfect sense.

 

KS is the dorsal spinous processes of the vertebrae, touching or rubbing against each other.

If you have a young spine, that is not fully formed, and is no-where near at full strength, and then you put weight on it & ask them to gallop, jump, canter in circles. Surely it stands to reason that it’ll deform?

 

I know many people won’t be the ones to back their horses, they’ll purchase them at a later age, so therefore have no control over this early backing.

 

But there are things that can be done, with younger horses especially, to manage KS conservatively or to prevent it becoming an issue.

 

This biggest thing is to look after your horses back!

 

My earlier blogs about warm up, cool down, stretching, and turnout will all aid with back health.

 

They are all small things that most would shrug at, claiming that’s too small to make a difference.

 

But it is the small things that make all the difference!

 

Little bits over time that make or break any horse.

 

Their development of KS wouldn’t have happened during one ride.

 

It would have happened over months of 20-30 minute rides 5-6 days a week. That can have an impact for the rest of their lives.

 

And of course, regular physiotherapy treatments can make a massive difference to horses with KS.

 

Treatment plans, exercises, electrotherapy, stretches and manual therapy can increase the spaces between the vertebrae, and ongoing care can ensure they stay apart.

 

And those that are more severe, and require surgery – physiotherapy is crucial in the recovery!

 

If you suspect your horse has KS, your first port of call must be the vet.

 

A vet physio cannot diagnose this (or any) condition, it requires an X-Ray to diagnose.

 

If your vet physio suspects KS, they should refer back to your vet for investigation.

 

Once the vet has diagnosed KS, then conservative, or surgical care can be discussed, and your horse can have the care they need.

 

But be aware!

 

Veterinary surgeons and veterinary physiotherapists can sometimes differ in their opinion of whether a case should be treated surgically or conservatively.

 

Often, a mild case will not require surgery, whereas a severe case almost always will.

 

It’s your responsibility to listen to both parties and go with whichever treatment option suits you and your horse best.

 

Ultimately, both parties should have your horses best interests in mind and should support whichever direction you choose to take.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments about topics you’d like me to write about, or any suggestions to improve my blogs.

 

For any other information, or to book a veterinary physiotherapy appointment, please contact me directly.

 

All the best,

Emma, The Biomechanic.

BSc(Hons), FdSc, MIRVAP, RAMP

07861195709

emma@the-biomechanic.co.uk

www.the-biomechanic.co.uk