Kissing Spines Surgery in Horses: Welfare Outcomes

Surgery for overriding dorsal spinous processes (kissing spines) can significantly improve welfare in appropriately selected horses with confirmed clinical pain.

Key Facts

Kissing spines (overriding dorsal spinous processes) are found radiographically in many horses
Not all horses with radiographic kissing spines have clinical pain - selection for surgery requires clinical correlation
Surgical options include interspinous ligament desmotomy, bone shaving, and dorsal spinous process removal
Success rates of 70-80% improvement in ridden work are reported in well-selected cases
Horses not responding to conservative management are the primary candidates for surgical consideration
Post-operative rehabilitation requires 3-6 months of controlled exercise
Thorough pre-surgical assessment including nerve blocks to confirm clinical relevance is essential

Welfare Considerations

Horses with clinically significant kissing spines experience chronic back pain that impairs their ability to work and may cause behavioral resistance that leads to welfare-damaging conflict. Appropriate surgical intervention, when selected based on confirmed clinical relevance rather than radiographic findings alone, provides meaningful pain relief and restored function. The welfare key is careful case selection - surgery on a horse without clinical pain from kissing spines provides no benefit and carries procedural risk. Post-operative rehabilitation requires patience to achieve optimal outcomes.

What You Can Do

Pursue MRI or nuclear scintigraphy alongside radiography to confirm clinical relevance of kissing spines
Use nerve blocks to confirm the back as the source of pain before committing to surgery
Work with a vet experienced in kissing spines management for case selection guidance
Follow post-operative rehabilitation protocols exactly - rushing return to work risks poor outcomes
Consider physiotherapy and saddle fit assessment alongside or before surgical consideration