Kissing Spines Prevention in Horses

Understanding and preventing overriding dorsal spinous processes in horses through evidence-based management.

Key Facts

Kissing spines, where adjacent vertebral spines contact or overlap, is a common cause of back pain in horses
The condition affects horses across breeds and disciplines, with highest prevalence in sport horses
Pain can be subtle, manifesting as behavioral resistance, reluctance to work, or girth sensitivity
Risk factors include conformation, saddle fit, rider balance, and early intensive training
Conservative management with physiotherapy, saddle fit correction, and modified training is effective for many horses
Surgical intervention through interspinous ligament desmotomy has good outcomes in appropriate cases

Welfare Considerations

Kissing spines cause significant back pain that is often misinterpreted as behavioral problems by riders and trainers unfamiliar with the condition. Horses that pin their ears when saddled, are reluctant to go forward, or show tension and resistance during schooling may be communicating genuine physical discomfort. Because back pain is difficult to see and easy to attribute to training failures, welfare-significant disease often goes undiagnosed for extended periods. Proactive back assessment by qualified veterinary physiotherapists and attention to saddle fit reduces both the incidence and duration of untreated pain in performance horses.

What You Can Do

Seek veterinary imaging if a horse shows girth sensitivity, reluctance to be saddled, or unexplained resistance
Maintain regular saddle fitting assessments to prevent saddle-induced back pain contributing to the condition
Work with a veterinary physiotherapist to develop appropriate rehabilitation exercise for horses with back issues
Ensure young horses are not brought into intensive training before their skeletal systems are mature
Treat behavioral resistance in ridden horses as a potential pain signal rather than a training problem