Everything to know about Kissing Spine, please! (And general update of rehabbing him and his issues now!)

[beowulf]

I would try hind shoes first over SI injection. Yes, SI injection is tremendously helpful but it won’t do much if he’s compensating behind from foot-soreness.

I completely understand the budget being restricted. You’ve already done more than most would do for this horse.

Does he move the same on the lunge to your eye, as he does in that video? I saw some foot soreness up front. I wouldn’t jump to Osphos yet but it would be on the table for me in your shoes. KS is so multi-faceted, even just hitting one sore spot doesn’t always address the pain.

[Lunabear1988]

Oh yes I meant in conjunction with hind shoes as that’s a priority regardless! Tomorrow when I work him I’m going to put some hind boots on him and see if that makes a difference too.

I do think he moves the same on the lunge if not worse to be honest. He typically is a slug on the lunge.
I have thought about Osphos… looking at the lameness exam notes they did not that he was mildly sore in the heel area on the left front which I think has been an on and off thing.

[floppyammy]

@fivestrideline

He looks tight, shuffley, and quick footed like endless said.

Agree with Endless and Fivestrideline.

Also agree with Fivestrideline – as long as he’s happy and willing , keep working him. There is a lot to be said for serviceably sound. You have certainly done everything within your means to get him comfortable. At some point you might have to accept that he might not ever be as correct or “sound” as you would like, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be useful.

[Lunabear1988]

Yeah in the past I’ve been more likely to give time off until everything’s 100%, but that has not worked for him and if anything made him worse (his back atrophied )

I definitely think I’m continuing down this road with the idea of serviceably sound for sure. As long as he’s happy and work and not getting worse… Although that doesn’t mean that I will not continue to try to make him feel his best! I definitely am staying on that path but I’ll keep working him until he tells me differently.

[Obsidian_Fire]

I’m going to say that while others are saying tight and shuffle-y, I see a QH with a “steepish” croup, big booty, moving like many of them do, when they are asked to move in a way that is not inherently normal to their breeding or conformation. That said, maybe he IS tight and shuffle-y, I don’t know the horse.
To me, he just looks like he’s not quite relaxed into it. Is it pain, balance, anticipation, ??
Keeping the KS horse fit is paramount, time off does no favors. Put the hind shoes on, give it a month of work that focuses on him being relaxed and balanced while he builds the carry strength. Then see where you are.

[Lunabear1988]

Unfortunately he doesn’t look better on the lunge. Maybe worse if anything.

But yes shoes are next.

[Lunabear1988]

This was me riding him awhile ago… He may have had hind shoes on at this time. My farrier convinced me that he had enough foot that he didn’t need them over winter … Which I regret as I can see how much worse he moves. Not that he’s ever moved great nor ever been 100%.

lynx Thanksgiving

[Obsidian_Fire]

To my eye, he looks much better in this video. He looks more relaxed and supple in his body, more swing.

[Lunabear1988]

Agree. This weekend I’m going to throw some hind boots on him… Just to see if that helps any. And even though still recovering from my car accident I might try to hop on him and see how he goes for “mom.”

I love my trainer, she’s a beautiful rider. But she’s not super experienced with the kissing spine.

[rockymouse]

So, to me he looks miles better in that last video, with you riding. He’s swingy, relaxed, collected, got impulsion.

In the previous videos, he was mincing along without strong impulsion, as others noted. He also seemed like he was unable to relax through his poll and neck and thus looked stiff and in a false frame.

You’re paying good attention to his feet etc. Osphos did zero for my KS mare. She did find good relief with shockwave therapy, though we no longer have access to this.

Yours may be feeling better in his back, but the way his muscles looked in the trainer videos made me think he’s sore kinda all over. If he were mine, I would spend a solid month walking, walking, walking on a loose rein and then I’d walk some more. I’d do Posture Prep, Masterson Method or Equine Body Work Online with him as often as possible. (That equinebodyworkonline dot com is cool - she’s got these audio guides for different parts of the body so she’s telling you what to do as you’re doing it. My horse loved it. Some of the info is free, but I think you can pay by the month or for a full year.)

After a month of this, I would video again and assess. I’ve seen more than one horse recover well from walking as a foundation for fitness, suppling and all over muscle soreness. Plus, there’s something about the simplicity of walking that takes the pressure off horse and human, good for both partners.

[IPEsq]

I think he was moving better in the last video than he is now. If shoes don’t make a big difference, then I’d probably ride him with his poll lower and nose more out and see if he can take bigger steps. He looks as if he is being ridden like he can collect but his hind legs are saying he can’t. And with his conformation, that will be somewhat a challenge even if he had nothing else going on in his body.

Behaviorally does he do anything bad if he feels a bit hot and you allow him to just go? A friend’s horse tends to do what your guy is doing, which is tightening up and shuffling when he’s feeling energized because of where he holds the tension. My youngster does this some as well although he is tighter in the back than the hind legs usually. But if there won’t be any major fireworks, that is the time to see if they can just channel that energy forward and bigger versus small and tight. Not easy but your trainer at least should give it a try.

[Lunabear1988]

He was sore in hamstrings at his last vet visit which prompted the hind feet xrays. Back was good but sore in his left SI area and hamstrings.

2 years ago, CSU did whisper about the possibility of a muscle myopathy… He was 5 panel tested so not PSSM1 but I have wondered about other things…

I did the posture prep today before our hand walk and he definitely enjoys it. He gets bodywork as much as I can afford (probably not enough at the moment though…)

[Lunabear1988]

He’s never been a naughty horse so I think it’s safe to try different approaches. I think my trainer worries more about him hurting himself versus her if that makes sense. And there was something going on off camera behind his pasture in that video so all the horses were a bit more up.

To me he always seems game but not naughty. I agree to encourage him into a lower more stretchy outline would be best.

[atr]

I can’t remember, do you have any trail access? If you do, and he’s safe out there, I’d be inclined to just go walking, too. The plus being that it’s probably OK physically for you too, and will get you both into a better physical and mental place.

Its getting to be spring, so it would be a really pleasant, no pressure way to spend a few weeks just puttering around.

If you don’t have safe trail access or the weather is bad, I’d just do “indoor trail rides.” Weave around the jumps, wander over some poles. Get him out of “work mode,” and get him to relax.

[Lunabear1988]

There are trails around but in a very suburban area like through neighborhoods and stuff so not sure we are ready for that (bikes and dogs and such) but there is a loop around the property and a field next door we can piddle in.

[Lunabear1988]

Okay so I wasn’t able to ride this weekend since my daughter was sick but I did work him in the equiband.

Unfortunately the hoof boots I had would not fit right (But I can’t find both sets I’m not sure if I got them mixed up and they were the fronts or if his feet have just changed… they’ve never fit great though.)

But I had my trainer ride him a little bit lower and longer. He wanted to go btv which doesn’t surprise me. I will say I thought he looked a little bit better today. Obviously he’s not going to look 100% all of sudden but he seemed more relaxed today. My trainer did say he wanted to be crooked when going to the left. His left SI area is the one that the vet thought was pretty sore.

So we’ll continue to work on getting him to stretch more. I’m going to go ahead and order Zycosan this week as that’s what the vet recommended when I sent her video. In a few weeks we will get hind in shoes on And then think about SI injections.

https://youtube.com/shorts/iiuIVBxnXHc?feature=shared

I got video the other direction but I didn’t realize I had it on this sped up three times feature lol!

[Lunabear1988]

I realize the video isn’t really showing too much different except I do think he was moving a bit better. Getting a consistent stretch will be bit of a project with him.

But in other news I did hop on and cool him out which was great. And Just let him stretch out to the buckle for that.

[IPEsq]

You can see the left hind in this video, but overall I think it’s better for him to be a bit longer in the neck as he is here, at this stage. When they get tired and/or are weak, it’s not uncommon for them to go BTV sometimes when being ridden longer/lower.

[Lunabear1988]

Yep agree on everything you said.

[Lunabear1988]

Well my trainer cantered him for the first time on Monday. Just popped right into it for one (very large) “circle.” He was wonderful. He seemed pretty excited to do it. When she went the other direction he kind of wanted to zoom off into the canter right away but she didn’t let him until he gave her a nice relaxed trot first.

He does kind of root at the bit still. Not nearly as often as he used to. I’m watching that behavior. It’s hard because he kind of likes to use his head and neck for all expressions of opinion, even in hand. Even during a farrier appointment lol Right now it seems to only happen at the beginning of the ride and ceases as the ride goes on. It also seems like it’s him anticipating or even wanting to go to the next gait. Usually upwards. So I think it’s a little bit of excitement but I am well aware that it could be discomfort still. But the fact that goes away as he warms up makes me feel better.