Impingement of dorsal spinous processes (kissing spine) is a common cause of back pain and performance problems in horses, with welfare implications for both the pain itself and the inappropriate responses it sometimes receives.
Kissing spine causes chronic back pain that significantly impairs athletic function and quality of life. The distinctive behavioral presentations — girthiness, bucking, reluctance to canter, resistance to rein contact — reflect pain responses that riders and trainers frequently misinterpret as training problems rather than medical conditions. This misinterpretation leads to welfare-worsening responses: increased training pressure, use of harsher equipment, or punitive approaches that demand performance despite pain. The ethical obligation when horses show performance deterioration or behavioral changes is medical evaluation before intensifying training demands. Welfare-conscious horse management recognizes that behavioral changes are communication, and back pain is a common message that warrants diagnostic response rather than training escalation.