Kissing Spines

And What You Need to Know

What is it?

Kissing spines —  also known as Dorsal Spinal Impigement (DSP) happens when the horse’s spinous processes touch, rub, overlap and in more severe cases, fuse together.

You may be thinking to yourself — wait, hold up… they can fuse together? The answer is yes, they can in really bad instances. You see, when there is a lot of trauma in the horse’s body (involving bones), the bones oscillate in order to protect themselves and reduce inflammation, this is why you will see the spinous processes fuse together in severe cases. This oscillation process takes time but it is unfortunately not uncommon; I have personally seen this happen on different bones due to ill fitting saddles.

The horse’s spine is comprised of different sections

            Cervical spine — C1-C7 (neck)

            Thoracic spine — T1-T18 (back)

            Lumbar spine — L1 – L6 (lower back)

Sacrum — 5 “bones” fused to make one.

            Coccygeal  spine — 15 to 18 (tail)

The thoracic vertebra are each connected to the ribs — this is why horses are able to carry us on their backs (from a skeletal point of view).

American Farrier’s Journal

Did you know that the lumbar vertebrae look completely different and they do not attach to ribs? They are delicate « winged » looking bones that that sit over organs, that’s why its important that no human or saddle ever sit over this region.

For the sake of this article, we’re only looking at the thoracic spine so let’s take a look at a thoracic vertebra (pictured below). That long section of bone is the spinous process, the tips are the parts of the vertebrae that touch when kissing spines is present.

Kissing spines is more prone in the thoracic region (from T-13 to T-18), this is is where the rider sits on the horse’s back. T-15 is the vertebrae that is the most often affected.

Below is an example of a radiograph suggesting kissing spines. Though the spinous processes do not touch one another in the photo, you can see that there are two areas on the right side of the second and the fourth spinous processes that are lighter, indicating that there has been touching/rubbing. You can also see that the spacing between the second and third vertebrae is less than the others.

This radiograph is from my personal’s horse’s back. She is often in fight or flight mode and because of that, she throws her head up and hollows her back in order to stand tall and watch her surroundings when she feels uneasy. Could this be why there is evidence of kissing spines? For the record — I do not ride her, and she has not been ridden very much throughout her life but she does however, still have major postural problems.

I take this radiograph into account when I work with her, to properly develop her muscles in a way that will allow her to relax, engage her abs and round her back to avoid further damage. When I eventually do ride her, I will make sure she has a fitted saddle to her back and work in harmony with her to ensure relaxation to avoid a hollow back and high head carriage.

Causes

Genetics

The spacing between the spinous processes varies from horse to horse and can be affected by genetics. I have heard that cold blooded horses are born with more space between the spinous processes whereas the hot blooded horses like thouroughbreds and warm bloods are more likely to experience kissing spines because they have less space between their spinous processes.

Age

As horses age, their backs elongate and their core muscles can weaken leading to a change in posture.

Ill fitting saddle/tack

When your horse is forced to work in tack that does not fit them, its unable to use their body correctly. They will shrink away from the saddle lowering their back, moving the spinous processes closer together and decreasing the space between the spinous processes.

Improper riding

Improper riding such as forcing a horse’s head into a false frame will also cause the neck to be pulled towards the rider and the back to fall in.

Poor Posture

Poor posture wether it be simply due to weak core muscles, injuries or even improper hoof trims can seriously affect your horses back and cause your horse to develop kissing spines.

Symptoms

Symptoms of kissing spines can include

-       Being “cold backed”

-       Flinching away or being upset when brushing, putting on a saddle or tightening the girth

-       Bucking or sudden onset bucking or rearing

-       Doesn’t stand still when mounting

-       Poor performance wether it be a sudden onset or long lasting

-       Horse is stiff, tosses head or hollows back during ridden or lunging work

-       Issues picking up the right lead or cross cantering

-       Loss of muscles along the topline

This is why it’s so important to keep tabs on your horse’s baseline as well as listen to them when things feel off. Follow your gut. You know your horse more than anyone else. And sometimes its worth getting some X-rays done in order to have piece of mind.

What is very interesting with Kissing Spines is that not every horse will show symptoms. Could this be related to the fact that some horses are more « stoic » than others and do not show when they are in pain? Or could it truly be due to the fact that some horses are just less affected by it?

Managing Kissing Spines

Managing kissing spines will vary greatly from horse to horse depending on your veterinarian's diagnosis, this is why it is important to get their recommendations on how to proceed and to work with a professional (bodyworker) who can help create a plan based on your veterinarian’s recommendations.

Many horses will improve with noninvasive management like:

-       Appropriate stretches and exercises to strengthen the core muscles

-       Corrective shoeing or barefoot trimming to properly balance the hooves

-       Good saddle/ tack fit

-       Correct training and riding

-       Massage, physio and chiropractic work to improve posture

-       Rest, anti-inflammatories, PEMF and red-light therapy to ease pain and inflammation

Many horses will fully recover while some may have limitations. It really does depend on the horse.

Some horses may need further intervention such as surgery in order to lead a comfortable life. I have however personally heard (from a vet) that horses who undergo this surgery will never be the same afterward. To what extent? I’m unsure and once again, it is most likely different with every horse. When it comes to making the decision for your animal, take your time to see the options available to you.

1.     Back Up

·      This is such an easy and phenomenal exercise to encorporate in your daily routine which can help your horse’s body in many ways. This exercise is crucial for horses with kissing spines and it has also been shown to help further development of it as well.

·      5X per week: back up 7-10 steps 4 times in a day.

2.    Walk

·      This is boring, I get it however walking is an incredible way to gently mobilise the spine.

·      Your best bet is in hand walking with your horse and allowing them to stretch down and relax as they please. Motion is lotion, allowing your horse to move will help the blood circulation in their body, which in turn delivers the nutrients to the area that needs healing.

·      Minimum 20 minutes of walk per day, 5X per week.

3.    Poles at the Walk

·      Adding some poles to your daily walking with your horse is extremely beneficial as it forces them to pick up their feet a bit more and engage those core muscles!

·      Once your horse is feeling more fit, you may add some pole risers so they can lift up their legs even more!

·      You can do this 2X per week about 15 times.

4.    Proper Conditioning

·      Ensuring your horse is being worked in a way that benefits their body is a wonderful way to ensure the protection of their spine.

·      Don’t rush it and take it one step at a time.

5.    Wither Rocking

·      This gentle yet effective exercise will help mobilise your horse’s spine — just don’t forget to have them standing square! It’s also best to start on stable flat ground.

6.    Canter

·      You may be surprised to see this one, but cantering is actually great for mobilizing the back! It’s a good way to build the abdominal and back muscles as well help with back flexibility which in turn will help with developing a good posture.

7.     Carrot Stretches

·      We’re all quite familiar with carrot stretches, and done properly and frequently, they can make a difference! Our goal is to do 20 reps with each stretch but you may need to work up to that. Begin with 5 and work your way up.

Ways to Prevent Kissing Spines

The ways to prevent Kissing Spines is quite similar to the ways we manage it on milder levels. It is done with many professionals to make sure the horse is being set up for success.

Stretches

It has been said that regular stretching can help prevent the development or further developpement of kissing spines. That being said, my favourite stretch is one I call « Back stretch — chest, knees, hooves » the part that will split the spinous processes the most is when the horse will reach between the hooves.

Exercises

I am a HUGE fan of poles. I think it is such a wonderful and easy way to get your horse to pick up their legs, engage their abs and work over their backs. Mind you, you shouldn’t add any tie downs or else your horse will build muscles in the wrong places and work against you in the long run.

The best way to build up top line and engage their abdominal muscles is by hand walking them. Yes, I know its boring but this allows your horse to work in a relaxed way without a rider to carry or even potentially ill fitting tack.

When your horse gets stronger, you can add some pole risers to make things a bit more difficult for them. Be sure to gradually increase the work load as your horse can become very sore if you do so too quickly.

Fitted saddle

It’s very simple: If your saddle does not fit your horse’s back, your horse will be unable to work properly. To work correctly, a horse must engage their abdominal muscles, the hind legs must come slightly under them and go over their backs into self carriage.

I understand that this is a costly issue. I understand that it can take a lot of time to find a good saddle. Yes it most likely means that you’ll need to take a break from riding, yes it means you may choose to skip out on the next few competitions. I’m not saying this to ruin your fun, I’m saying this so you can can put your horse first and ensure a long happy and healthy life with them.

Ill fitting saddles are WAY too common in the horse world and its something that is completely preventable. The number of horses who have been permanently damaged because we do not do our due diligence towards them is astounding.

Realize the impact your decisions have on your animal; they are at your mercy.

Taping

Taping your horse can be a very easy way to aid your horse in many different ways. You can learn how to support your horse to muscle in the right ways or you can tape simply to improve proprioception to help your horse develop an awareness of certain areas of their body. Always make sure you know the base of what you are doing and check in with a vet if you are taping for kissing spines.

Some tapes for kissing spines:

-       Along the back

-       Under the belly

Mindful Riding

Once again I mention that using any sort of equipement that ties your horses head down or in place will NOT get you the results you want — they end up harming your horse. This includes:

-       Pesoa system

-       DeGoge

-       Side reins

-       Draw Reins

-       Lunging aids

If your horse recently got diagnosed with kissing spines (mild to moderate) that doesn’t need immediate veterinary attention or you would like to create a plan to prevent kissing spines, I encourage you to do the following things:

1.     Make sure your horse’s hoof angles are correct

·      If the angles are off, the rest of the body’s posture will not be able to be corrected.

2.    Find a good bodyworker in your area and get your horse seen on a regular basis.

·      Tension is inevitable in any being and with an increase in tension comes compensation patterns which means your horse may begin to use its body incorrectly.

3.    Do the stretches 5X per week

4.    Prioritize the exercises you’ve been given

5.    Get your tack fit if it hasn’t been done recently

·      Horses will continuously change sizes through the year so its imperative you purchase a saddle that is adjustable and have it adjusted at least once per year.

·      You may have a super expensive custom saddle but if it’s not adjustable, it most likely won't be fitting properly in 6 months (English saddles)

6.    Change your way of riding

·      It’s critical a horse is never forced into a « frame » by pulling on the mouth. To achieve an anatomically correct « frame » or « outline », the horse must engage his abs, tuck the pelvis in a bit and reach over his back.

·      Gentle hands are essential

·      Allowing for stretching

·      Ensuring your horse is properly muscled before riding is key. If your horse does not have the proper musculature, it will be unable to carry the weight of the rider and won't be able to use its body in a way that will benefit him, instead the back will go hollow and increase the risk of kissing spines.

Be mindful to not push your horse past its capabilities.