The DSPs that normally do not bother the horse may become impinged due to the difference in the way the horse moves. For example, if a horse has a front foot lameness, they may move with their head higher and back arched to avoid putting excess weight on their leg. In addition, if a horse is experiencing lameness from a different source, it may affect the DSPs that were once asymptomatic. The cause of this condition is unknown but there may be a hereditary component. This leads to involuntary muscle spasms of the horseвЂ™s back, which pull the DSPs closer together, further enhancing the problem. The interspinous ligament runs down the back of a horse, in between the DSPs, and attaches to the bone. Impingement of the DSPs occur when there is increased tension or pressure on the nerve endings of the interspinous ligament. In the most severe cases, the bones may overlap. When impingement occurs, the DSPs are pulled closer together, sometimes touching. In a healthy horse, the DSPs sit parallel and evenly spaced from one another. While the prognosis is highly dependent on the individual case and severity of impingement, about 85% of horses can return to athletic activity post-operation. At Tufts Equine Center, our Sports Medicine and Surgery Service team is highly experienced in performing these surgeries in standing sedated patients. T he inter-spinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD) procedure that is a surgical procedure routinely performed to correct impinging DSPs.

While impingement of the DSPs may be treated conservatively, in cases where the impingement is more severe, surgical intervention may be necessary. This painful condition occurs when the dorsal spinous processes (DSPs) (the thin bones that project upward from the vertebra of the horseвЂ™s spine) are touching or вЂњkissingвЂќ. Many horses will also have tenderness in their backs and are often sore to the touch.Kissing spines may affect up to 40% of horses. Sudden changes in behavior when ridden such as bucking, rearing, head tossing, kicking out, hollowing their back, resisting the bite, inconsistent with upward and downward transitions, cross-cantering, refusing, or rushing fences, are signs of back pain. Many horses will become hypersensitive when being brushed or saddled. Horses with vague or overt lameness and are performing poorly overall could be from the presence of this condition. Signs of kissing spine are highly inconsistent and vary largely from horse to horse. Horses with mild development of the kissing spine usually do not show any signs of it being present. Genetics may also be a factor but has yet to be confirmed. A poorly fitting saddle, improper training that allows the horse to carry itself improperly with their head up, back hollow, and little to the engagement of their core or hind end muscles. Thoroughbreds, warmbloods, and performance horses tend to be diagnosed with kissing spines more than others. Kissing the spine has also been seen in the lumbar vertebrae but is very uncommon. Kissing spine usually develops in the last few thoracic vertebrae and in most horses this is the same spot where a saddle and or rider sits when mounted. Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods tend to develop kissing spines more often than other breeds but it can happen to any breed. Horses that develop kissing spine receive a positive diagnosis of the condition between the ages of five to ten, but can develop at any age, younger or older.

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How Does the Kissing Spine in Horses Develop?.

Kissing spine horse