The I'm rehabbing my TB with kissing spine thread

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=AlterWalter;8435491]
OP, how is Vic doing? Any updates?[/QUOTE]

He is actually starting to fill out behind his withers, which is a first. While he has settled into his routine, my saddle search continues. I am riding him in a marginally fitting Prestige and am looking into county because the trees are custom made. I sent pics to a county rep, asked a few questions but it always took her 5 days to get back with me for each question and they seemed to be canned responses that I saw on the website. But I wanted to try County so I looked at what was available on the County site to test ride, called the company, was put thru to the voicemail of the person in charge of the test ride saddles…and never heard from the company. I will have to say David Stackhouse was the one person who consistently answered my calls. My major issue with Stackhouse is I would have to fly David in to fit my horse. While I love Vic, he is 15 and a marginal eventer on a good day! Lol

When my chiro saw him last week, we noted he was a little flinchy along his back but as we talked, she felt he was muscle sore from his work load . The Pessoa rig is new to him the past 4-6 weeks.

Prestige is sending me a different saddle. A brand new model they have. And I have the number of a new County rep, County of Illinois so I will give them a try. I was telling my chiro that the only way to know if this will work is to get a properly fitting saddle and put him in work. This is all a leap of faith.

On a down note, I got the bill for the whole treatment series…$2300. However, both my vet and chiro felt the lig snip surgery is a last resort thing.

[Jumper_Princess1988]

Not a whole lot to add, just sending you best wishes for you and your boy.

My TB was dx with KS last year…he came to me with a body score of 1.5 and was a hot mess. He needed to gain 500 lbs before we even stuck a saddle on him…and once we did, he was terrible! As flexible as concrete, but bless him - he just tried his heart out every single day. We have an awesome vet and she x-rayed his back…the DSP were close but she couldn’t tell if it was KS or not. We shipped him to Tufts where the bone scan showed…nothing. No surgery then, but they sent us home with pages and pages of instructions. Three months on the Pessoa finally started to give him a hint of a top line and suddenly he was better under saddle. Three rounds of shockwave therapy also was extremely helpful.

Now a year out from the initial dx, he’s a completely different horse. He’s a solid 5-5.5 body score with a nice top line. We have spent the last six months focusing on dressage, and he’s building beautiful muscle daily. He’s soft and supple, and has three floaty gaits. What’s more is he’s happy and obviously thrilled with his job.

I’m paranoid about saddle fit - we’re using a cheapie dressage saddle that fits him perfect now, and will upgrade to something better once his back stops changing shape (to satisfy my inner tack snob). We get the saddle fitter out every six months to keep an eye on things. He also gets monthly massages and as much turnout as weather permits.

The vet was out last month for vaccinations and she declared he’s looking better than ever, so we’re on the right track. I figure this is a lifetime battle, but we’ve got a plan of attack.

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=Jumper_Princess1988;8438784]
Not a whole lot to add, just sending you best wishes for you and your boy.

My TB was dx with KS last year…he came to me with a body score of 1.5 and was a hot mess. He needed to gain 500 lbs before we even stuck a saddle on him…and once we did, he was terrible! As flexible as concrete, but bless him - he just tried his heart out every single day. We have an awesome vet and she x-rayed his back…the DSP were close but she couldn’t tell if it was KS or not. We shipped him to Tufts where the bone scan showed…nothing. No surgery then, but they sent us home with pages and pages of instructions. Three months on the Pessoa finally started to give him a hint of a top line and suddenly he was better under saddle. Three rounds of shockwave therapy also was extremely helpful.

Now a year out from the initial dx, he’s a completely different horse. He’s a solid 5-5.5 body score with a nice top line. We have spent the last six months focusing on dressage, and he’s building beautiful muscle daily. He’s soft and supple, and has three floaty gaits. What’s more is he’s happy and obviously thrilled with his job.

I’m paranoid about saddle fit - we’re using a cheapie dressage saddle that fits him perfect now, and will upgrade to something better once his back stops changing shape (to satisfy my inner tack snob). We get the saddle fitter out every six months to keep an eye on things. He also gets monthly massages and as much turnout as weather permits.

The vet was out last month for vaccinations and she declared he’s looking better than ever, so we’re on the right track. I figure this is a lifetime battle, but we’ve got a plan of attack.[/QUOTE]

You’re exactly on the same plan as us. I don’t know about yours but mine is a saddle fitting nightmare! High withered, curvy, big shouldered, short backed. We are considering a County because the tree is custom and you can change the tree out if you get a new horse.

[2tempe]

OP - I’ve not read all the posts, but thought of this article: if you scroll down towards the end, there are a series of exercises that you might find interesting and useful.

http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/02/04/help-horse-kissing-spine-goodbye/#axzz3uVGxBfTF
Good luck

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=2tempe;8443202]
OP - I’ve not read all the posts, but thought of this article: if you scroll down towards the end, there are a series of exercises that you might find interesting and useful.

http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/02/04/help-horse-kissing-spine-goodbye/#axzz3uVGxBfTF
Good luck[/QUOTE]

Thank you! Someone was telling me about this article and I couldn’t find it. Very encouraging.

[Jumper_Princess1988]

Welcome to the Saddle Collector’s Club! In other words, get ready to swap saddles out every few months as his back dramatically changes shape.

I think I’ve bought three saddles in the last nine months to accommodate his ever-changing top line. It’s thrilling to see the hollow behind his withers disappear, but I’m also seeing my bank account do the same…:lol: Fortunately there is a thriving business in used saddles so you can usually break even if you are a little patient.

I just bought a gently used HdR buffalo pro dressage saddle off a FB tack trading site and it’s pretty much a perfect fit. Saddle fitter thinks this may be our last temporary saddle and we can start thinking about a nice County or Prestige (my inner tack snow is rejoicing).

It’s not fun, but every time I lug yet another saddle up to the barn, I tell myself we are doing something right for the pony…!!! Helps take the sting out of the whole situation. Good luck!

[CindyCRNA]

Update: Vic is coming along well. He is 45 min under saddle 2-3 times a week and 20 min (10 min in each direction) in the Pessoa rig 3 times a week (never in the rig and ridden on the same day). His back is filling out and he is looking good. My friend let me use her dressage saddle to see if it would fit and lo and behold, it is almost a perfect fit! It is an old Prestige with shoulder relief. I have 2 jumping saddles that just arrived yesterday from Hastilow to trial and my chiro is coming out on Fri to assess how Vic is doing. I am pulling out one of my jumps also and start him jumping cross rails if one of these fit. So far, so good and I am cautiously optimistic.

[Zu_Zu]

Good update ! Jingles & AO ~

[CindyCRNA]

Chiro came out today and I had 2 saddles I was trialing. A Concept Monoflap and a Fairfax jump. The Concept went back in the box as quickly as it came out. It bridged terribly. The Fairfax fit him out of the box! Perfectly! Required zero tweeking. So now he had a dressage saddle and a jump saddle that fit. She also cleared him to start jumping. 4 months of rehab and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[CindyCRNA]

An update on Vic. He has been under saddle over 3 months, working 5 days a week. This last month we have added back in jumping and he is doing great! He has to have back strengthening exercises forever and I have to be careful that he stretches down thru the bridle and uses his body properly. He is headed off to Iowa to an eventing trainer who will focus on continuing his conditioning for 2 months then back home to a dressage trainer. He is doing great! This is a rehabable condition in many cases. My vet said he has had almost all the horses he is treating conservatively return to full work but it will always be there. He will always have to have a strong topline.

[CindyCRNA]

Update on Vic. He is at the dressage trainers for 2-3 months and we have started jumping lessons. His saddles appear to fit him however, an awesome saddle fitter from the east coast is coming out (The Refined Equine) and is doing a saddle fit. He is not in noticeable pain and is evaluated by his chiropractor every 30 days as we ramp up work. His conservative treatment was not cheap though. Between xrays, injections and shockwave, it was about $3500. :eek: The next month will be the litmus test. 5 day a week dressage training, 2 day a week jumping.

He is being ridden in a Fairfax jump and an Albion Ultima.

[CindyCRNA]

Update on Vic. He is in long term dressage training (it was going to be 2-3 months but he is doing so awesome, I don’t want it to end!) being ridden 5 days a week by either myself in a dressage lesson or the dressage trainer and is in 1-2 day a week jumping lessons. We just did our first schooling show last weekend and we got second place in beginner novice with a 27.5 on his dressage test. The dressage training is making all of the difference. He is seen consistently every 6 weeks by his chiro who is the one who diagnosed him. He has been maintaining on his own without any additional treatment. My goal is to get to novice with him and hang there until he retires.

[CindyCRNA]

Update on Vic: he continues to be the poster child for non-invasive rehab. He is jumping well, being ridden 6 days a week and is muscled out like a QH (he is a TB) Both the vet and chiro said they thought he would do well but are stunned by how well. But it hasn’t been cheap. Initial xrays and treatment : $3200, 2 new saddles, full time with a dressage trainer. You could do without the trainer and maybe your saddles fit, so maybe just the initial treatment. But he has to stay in work that keeps his topline in condition so it’s a long term thing.

[BatataHead]

[QUOTE=CindyCRNA;8838346]
Update on Vic: he continues to be the poster child for non-invasive rehab. He is jumping well, being ridden 6 days a week and is muscled out like a QH (he is a TB) Both the vet and chiro said they thought he would do well but are stunned by how well. But it hasn’t been cheap. Initial xrays and treatment : $3200, 2 new saddles, full time with a dressage trainer. You could do without the trainer and maybe your saddles fit, so maybe just the initial treatment. But he has to stay in work that keeps his topline in condition so it’s a long term thing.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for posting an update - have been following your thread. Congrats on doing such a great job with him.

[CindyCRNA]

End of the show season update on Vic. The chiro came out to see him today and said he has no tenderness when palpated over his KS area of his back. He has been slightly tender to palpation all summer which was expected but he just finished a hellish schedule the past 6 weeks so his total lack of soreness is amazing. He was in 5 days a week with a dressage trainer (we just cut back to 3 days a week), every weekend was either a schooling show , 2 recognized shows or cross country schooling … an a jumping lesson or 2 per week to boot. I expected him to be at least a little sore. But no. Nothing. My chiro said she never expected this much progress. It was not cheap but here we are. A fully functioning event horse.

[GraceLikeRain]

Thanks for keeping this thread updated. I’m glad he’s doing so well.

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8918107]
Thanks for keeping this thread updated. I’m glad he’s doing so well.[/QUOTE]

It seems to be a not uncommon diagnosis and I wanted to show that some can be rehabbed without surgery although this certainly wasn’t the cheaper route.

[BatataHead]

Great update! Vic is so lucky to have you.

[CindyCRNA]

Update on Vic. He turned 17 this month. I just this month took him down to 3 days a week with the dressage trainer and he jumps in lessons twice a week. While he is doing great, he needed a tuneup. He got his first set of hock injections and the vet comes out Mon to either inject his back, shock wave his back or maybe both. I’ll know when he arrives on Mon. I think he may have tweaked his back due to his hocks so now we are doing hocks every 6 months and will shock wave his back at the same time.

[JB]

:eek: :eek: That is AMAZING!!!