Kissing spines (Overriding Dorsal Spinous Processes) cause significant back pain in horses, and early recognition, appropriate management, and treatment can dramatically improve welfare outcomes.
Kissing spines is a welfare condition that sits at the intersection of veterinary medicine, horsemanship, and equipment management. Many horses with this condition suffer silently — their back pain expressed as training problems, resistance to mounting, reluctance to go forward, or bucking — that is misinterpreted as behavioral disobedience and met with correction rather than veterinary investigation. Recognition that horses cannot directly report pain makes diagnostic diligence a welfare responsibility. When kissing spines are identified and managed appropriately — through veterinary treatment, saddle adjustment, and appropriate rehabilitation exercise — many horses return to comfortable, willing work.