Kissing Spines - The Most Common Cause Of Back Pain In Horses
Kissing Spines - The Most Common Cause Of Back Pain In Horses
What is Kissing Spines (Baastrup's sign)?
There is a condition called kissing spines in which two or more vertebrae overlap or touch. Unfortunately, the exact cause of the problem is unknown. The underlying issue may also be a degenerative condition that develops over time, like arthritis. Physical demands placed on the horse may contribute to kissing spines. Poorly fitted or incorrect-sized saddles may also contribute to kissing spines. The horses may have hollow backs, carry themselves with their head up, and not engage core muscles without proper training.
Horses can develop kissing spines anywhere along the spine. Generally, it affects vertebrae 13-18, with 15 being the most likely.
Unwilling to jump, an extreme degree of stiffness, unpredictable behavior when ridden, such as rearing, bucking, or bolting, performance is poor, and when brushed or groomed, the animal becomes irritable. These could be signs of kissing spines.
To diagnose kissing spines, a veterinarian will examine the horse, conduct x-rays of the spine, perform thermal imaging to locate the source of heat, and ultrasound. Horses with kissing spines will be more comfortable with the correct treatment. Your veterinarian may prescribe anti-inflammatory and corticosteroid injections as part of your horse's medical treatment plan. An Equine Rehabilitation Therapist may recommend daily exercises to promote a horse's mobility. Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and ultrasound treatment may help relieve pressure points. The symptoms of kissing spines include pain, inflammation, and bone damage.
The ingredients in Equine Joint Plus, such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid, may reduce inflammation and tissue damage caused by kissing spines.
Read about Eliza's horse's success with Equine Joint Plus
No words can express how grateful I am that I put my horse on this product. We found out a few months back that my big boy has kissing spine after months of not knowing why he was sore and had a very irritable personality. After putting him on joint plus he is finally happy, his movement is so much better and he has his goofy personality back. He always seemed very grumpy in his paddock, telling off his paddock mates for even getting close to him and rarely wanting attention from people. Now.. he plays with his friends, giving them scratches and kisses at every chance he gets. When he sees me coming into the paddock he happily walks up for Pat and never wants me to leave. Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me my boy back it makes me so happy to see he is finally comfortable and he can be a joyful horse again. I would 100% recommend this product. I would give it 10 stars if possible.
Reference:
Kissing Spines | School of Veterinary Medicine (ucdavis.edu)