Hi All-
I am looking at buying a horse but it has come to life that he had kissing spine surgery 2 years ago as well as colic surgery. They claim that he has been sound since then and have X rays showing that his back is in good condition. His price has come down 15k since this has happened bringing him into the range I can afford but I am wondering if it will cost me more in the long run with vet bills or worse having to retire him or another colic surgery. Do you think it is worth doing a pre purchase exam on him? He is located out of state so it is quite a trek for me. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!
I am assuming he is free?
Call your vet and talk to him/her…weigh your options.
For 15k he would be too much of a risk for me personally.
If he is working successfully at the level I wanted, I would consider it. But I wouldn’t pay a lot.
I have had heartbreak with horses, and oh my god it’s painful. However, if you are looking to be competitive, and know you could never afford a horse of this quality under normal circumstances… I dunno, I might give him a shot.
I have a horse in on rehab that was purchased in the spring. She has “kissing spines” and has had many injections in the back and SI. New owner thought the horse was okay. Old trainer thought the horse was working correctly. Horse was just leg moving with a dropped back. Owner is now spending thousands on rehab with me and multiple vets. The horse is much better but the vet injecting the back completely ignored the fact the the horse also had very long toes and low heels–especially behind and also paid no attention to the fact that the pelvis was visibly out of whack. Horse also had obvious asymetrical muscle development in wither and shoulders and had ribs out as well. I have rehabbed many horses and have done TTouch for over 25 years and work closely with vets. I am pretty sure the “kissing spines” and need for injections are just a symptom of the structural problems this horse has, structural problems that the injecting vet has ignored. Currently the horse is about 80% better. I hope we can get the rest and that the horse will hold up for lower level dressage but I just don’t know.
I sure wouldn’t buy a horse with that many problems and I am in the market for a new one for me.
The OP said that the “price has come down 15K…” not that the horse IS $15K. So, I’m assuming he’s quite a lot more money unless she actually meant to say that his price has come down TO 15K.
Anyway, if I was looking at this horse, I would have my own vet review the x-rays and speak with the surgeon who performed the operation. If the x-rays look good and the surgeon is optimistic, than you are probably good to go.
That said, the colic actually has me more worried. I’d want to know all the circumstances behind it and if this horse is predisposed to colicking. If I decided to buy the horse, I would insure him for major medical and mortality and pay the extra $ to have the most robust coverage available.
If he is a reasonable age/the level you want/with good competition experience, I wouldn’t rule this horse out if he’s a great match for you and you can get the questions re: his KSS and colic surgeries answered satisfactorily.
I wouldn’t take him - maybe not even for free. I’ve known a few people who have lost their riding horses to Kissing Spine - it doesn’t kill them, but they are not rideable. Add to that colic - I think it is a heartache in the making 
It is a risk.
Also, consider, what kind of horse person you are, meaning, whether you need the horse to fit your plans (type and level of riding) or whether you “go with the flow” (basically adjusting to the abilities of the horse- for instance, if kissing spine re-occurs, would you switch to driving, if viable option).
Here is an interesting article:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/new-surgery-may-be-key-kissing-spine
I had a horse with KSS–confirmed it with radiographs–and he was ridable. However, he had to have his back injected every 8 weeks. The clinic had predicted he’d need the shots every 6-9 months, but it just didn’t work out that way. I did a lot of research on the topic 12 years ago when this horse was first diagnosed. What I was told then was that it is not a recurring type of disorder. If the surgery is a success, than the horse should be able to return to a normal life without further concerns about KSS.
If you want to do any collection the kissing spines eliminates this horse from consideration. My trainer retired her GP horse (whom was doing VERY well nationally) when he was diagnosed with KS. He’s OK for trail riding but the minute you ask for any collection he is in obvious pain.
She spent quite a bit of money trying to determine the cause and fix the issue. She has retired him based on multiple Wellington and other big name vets, and her experience.
IMO I wouldn’t even take the horse for free unless you have plenty of land and don’t mind just turning him out.
I think you missed the part where the OP said that the horse has had surgery, and it was supposedly successful. KSS is not always career-ending because there is a lot of variation from case to case–the number of areas where the spinous processes are touching and their location. OP is smart to be doing her due diligence, but there is a lot of misinformation being posted here. She needs to talk to vets with a lot of experience with KSS and have them review the horse’s medical records if she wants to pursue the horse further.
Hi all,
I am looking for an FEI prospect and the horse is still young and has been competing 3rd level for a year now fairly succesfully. After doing some research the KS worries me less now that he is 2+ years post surgery with no ill effects but he has coliced since his surgery. I think I will continue to research him as I do like him and he is a wonderful opportunity for me to get a horse that would normally be out of my budget. They were originally asking 40 and are now down to 25 (top of my budget D=) but if I can find a way to insure him for that amount I would be less apprehensive.
[QUOTE=DressageQueen777;7778355]
Hi all,
I am looking for an FEI prospect and the horse is still young and has been competing 3rd level for a year now fairly succesfully. After doing some research the KS worries me less now that he is 2+ years post surgery with no ill effects but he has coliced since his surgery. I think I will continue to research him as I do like him and he is a wonderful opportunity for me to get a horse that would normally be out of my budget. They were originally asking 40 and are now down to 25 (top of my budget D=) but if I can find a way to insure him for that amount I would be less apprehensive.[/QUOTE]
With documented issues like that, any insurance company would most likely have exclusions for loss of use/death/major medical as a result of colic or back problems. I would not count on being able to insure him.
A friend of mine purchased a super nice horse that she planned to take up the levels for a significant sum of money. He had shown through 3rd and was schooling beyond that. About 8 months in, he was diagnosed with KSS. They tried injections, but they wound up doing the surgery. Surgery went well, there was no reason to believe he wouldn’t recover. But a couple years later, the problems popped up again, almost overnight. Upon re-xray, 5 more vertebrae were affected. He is now a very big, very expensive pasture ornament who needs daily Previcox and occasional rounds of muscle relaxers to stay comfortable.
Yes, that may be an extreme case, keep in mind that something like the above is possible. I personally would not purchase a horse that had had known back problems (and this isn’t even starting on the colic surgery!). If you do decide to go through with it, I would absolutely recommend a back xray during the PPE that is examined by the best radiologists you can find.
But honestly, I’d keep looking.
With the colic surgery, I would find out what the horse’s circumstances were when he colicked (how many hours turnout, what feed, travelling frequency, etc) and what the surgical findings were. Then you can talk with an expert about whether this is likely to recur, and whether there are management changes that can be done to reduce the risk.
I field board my horses with free choice forage year round. In the ten years I’ve boarded there I cannot remember a serious colic in that herd of horses. I am sure there are some issues like entrapment that cannot be mitigated, but…
