Loss of use is pretty much impossible and useless if you do not own a breeding animal or you can’t demonstrate that your income relies on the animal.
Agree that putting him out for an extended period of time and trying again is the best course of action right now.
I have a coming five year old that I have owned since a weanling. I raised him. Before I sent him to be started (which was done around age 3.5), I had a complete set of baseline xrays done. He was completely clean. While he was at the colt starter, he demonstrated ulcer like symptoms. They were using a huge western saddle on him. I treated him with gastroguard, but brought him home after two months. I palpated him and he seemed very backsore. I had the vet and chiropractor out. They prescribed four months off and robaxin–he had two courses–physical therapy and equioxx initially too. I bought a saddle for him from a local saddle fitter and a pad with sheepskin. I started him back gradually, but after 5 months of riding (and I rode him in a clinic during this time and he was a good boy), he did the same thing as your horse while I was casually walking around (he had also had two saddle fittings in that time)–scooted, bucked, launched and we both fell down. I broke four ribs, despite my air vest going off. I had the vet out after that and we xrayed his back and ultrasounded him. He had one close space between his spines. So he developed that since his first xray. He also had very sore muscles again. He had three months off and I had two saddlers look at him and told me that the saddle I bought was not the proper tree shape for him. So I hired a third person and I had a new saddle custom made for him. I had to move him to a training barn because of my ribs, but he wasn’t started under saddle again until his new saddle came. He has been a gem since then with no back soreness. No problems, safe under saddle, super chill, big appetite, no sore back, going on 3 months now.
I was not aware that bad saddle fit could cause this kind of damage so fast! So many people send young horses out to be started in the colt starter’s saddles. So many saddle fitters actually cannot provide a custom fit. Have the saddle fit looked at too, although I’m not sure if the damage can be reversed, there is probably maintenance that can work as long as the inflammation is kept at bay.
Thank you all. 
I think the hardest thing is that even if he rehabs, has surgery, or gets more comfortable, he will not be a horse for me to ride. I absolutely want to do right by him and would never put him in a bad situation, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around a months-to-years-long process to see if he can become rideable. I know on some levels this sounds terrible. He is such a sweet, well bred boy that I guess I just hope I can find someone that might take a chance on him where I can have the right of first refusal etc. should he need to be retired or euthanized.
I am so glad that you got this figured out!! Thanks for sharing!
Granted, I have not personally known of a claim in 20 years, but I had a client who purchased a 3yo horse with LOU included and the horse developed kissing spine at 5. She was given the option of a 50% payoff and keep the horse alive but insurance company gets ownership or a 100%payoff and euthanize.
Take this as relevant or not, but a few months ago I looked through the X-rays available online for every colt in a major European registry sale of young stallions offered for sale after their approval process. These were a couple dozen or so 2.5-coming 3 yos not yet under saddle but longed in side reins, stalled and fed grain etc. to get them “fit” for the evaluation.
The point is, a surprising number had significant changes to their backs. I’m no vet but sure looked like what would be called “KS” over here. Did not seem to impact the sales prices. These horses were presumably never ridden. I figured the changes reflected some bone remodeling from being longed in surcingles and tight side reins? Or genetic predisposition? Whatever the cause, I was very surprised. Assuming at least some of the instances resulted from how they were worked, the changes suggest how easily remodeling can occur–these horses couldn’t have been worked more than a couple of months.
This is my theory about KS as well. Based on my experience with one program where multiple horses came in sound and happy and then developed KS over time (9 mo - years), I am certain that riding them incorrectly (inverted, short reins, longed in side reins, lack of turnout, etc) caused the KS.
Yep, bad work at any age and/or just cranked up and longed too young.
Even though your plan is to sell him I would put him in a field for some time and see if anything changes. I have seen a lot of discussion about young horses with kissing spine, it’s not advisable to do surgery that young because things can change so much as they grow. Spinal processes that are close at 3 years old could spread out and no longer be an issue at 5 years old as the horse muscles up and changes shape.
This is so interesting; I wish someone would do a study on this.
For sure. And, for the record, the X-rays of these colts were accompanied by vet reports that graded the changes to the spine, so it wasn’t just me “eyeballing” the rads.
Systematic studies might, however, reveal issues that would open a can of worms with regards to upsetting the lucrative apple cart of starting and marketing 2.5-yos that potentially sell for large amounts.
I went through something similar. I have a homebred, he was actually born here at my farm and i was there. When he was 4 I sent him out to a really good colt starter for a couple of months of boot camp. He came back and was fine and we were having a great time trail riding and doing little easy baby stuff and whatever. Last spring when he was 5 I sent him to my h/j trainer who is in my area so he could get some more training and I could go lesson, participate etc. The saddle she was using was some decrepit CWD that needed some serious attention. After about 2 months there, all of a sudden he went from happy and willing to ear pinning tail swishing and kicking out. I mean from one day to the next. Don’t know if the saddle contributed, if he slipped and fell or did something in turnout or what.
I took him to a sports medicine vet in ocala that I use who also works with an osteopath who comes over from Belgium several times a year. They both worked on him, took some x rays of his back and voila some signs of kissing spine issues.
They both did some relatively minor common adjustments, and the vet recommended giving him about 6 months of turnout and bringing him back. Well as luck would have it two months into that I slipped and fell and broke my shoulder so we were on stall rest together. While he was laid up I started him on a course of adequan.
At the end of the 6 months, actually more like 8, i took him back to them for a recheck and another adjustment. He got the all clear so we put him back to work . He’s back to his old self and acting very happy to be doing what hes doing and is very willing again. So if you can afford it maybe just give your guy a little time and some Dr Green for a few months and see what happens before you make any decisions that you can’t take back and might regret.
I also just sold a really nice 5 yo TB who never went into any kind of training until last year when he did 90 days at the same colt starter. Two different vets vetted him and both found what they thought was maybe kissing spine. The second vet also said he had bone spurs in his hocks. How a horse who has done absolutely nothing in his entire life but stand around and eat and be on 24/7 turnout has bone spurs is beyond me. I didn’t see the xrays since i sent him to a friends consignment barn to sell so whatever.
Where are you in NE? We might be able to help you identify a good place. Feel free to PM if more comfortable.
sent a PM
@Junebuggie could you just sell him as is, with full disclosure, to someone who is willing to do rehab and/or surgery plus rehab, if it is indicated?
I have two friends that have done exactly that on the purchasing end. One went on to have the horse of her lifetime this way. The other is currently bringing the horse back post surgery but seems to be really happy with the path so far.
It seems like it could be a great way for you to move forward, that you could part ways with this horse and recoup some of the money you spent.
This is exactly what I am working on 
Young, unstarted horses can have all sorts of imperfect x-rays. Go to any TB yearling sale and you can find a horse with spurs, chips, lucencies, bone cysts, etc. These things may, or may not affect the horse in its career, but it will certainly impact the horse’s marketability and price.
I just sold a 3yo homebred TB, never raced or race trained, with maybe 40 light rides under saddle. The first PPE came back with “mild arthritis” in hocks. Second PPE, a different vet said the horse’s hocks were clean and completely fine. However, vet talked buyer into “just a couple films” of the horse’s back; horse palpated 100% pain free, no flinch or reaction anywhere, beautiful strong, solid topline. I don’t think the vet was expecting to find anything, just doing it “for the future”. And he found 3 areas of kissing spine; two that he called “Grade 2” and one “Grade 3” with a tiny spot of remodeling. This, on a horse barely going under saddle, started carefully by myself in a proper fitting saddle. No physical symptoms under saddle or on the ground. Vet said it was something he was born with… Buyer wanted to know, “will this get worse? Is it career limiting?” Vet couldn’t say, but said there are therapies to manage it if it became sore.
Thankfully the buyer LOVED this horse’s mind, and was willing to take the risk (for 40% reduction in price). It was a scary moment as a seller and breeder; I’ve done everything right to bring this horse up as a performance animal, with proper nutrition and thoughtful starting, but still couldn’t escape KS.
Again - not an expert… but there is an old saying in horses that horses don’t read the x-rays.
I always wonder about the KS diagnoses and the stories of being ridden incorrectly, horse gets sore and x-rayed and then gets the diagnosis of KS. I honestly think there are two paths to that diagnosis.
young horse w/ KS - has a weak topline and/or posterior chain and/or soft tissue involvement. Regardless of careful training, will present w/ back pain and need to be rehabbed or allowed to grow or surgery. Horse may or may not be managed successfully.
older horse w/ undiagnosed KS. Horse is ridden correctly most of his life and has a strong topline and/or posterior chain. The horse is asymptomatic. Then the horse changes hands and the horse is ridden incorrectly. The horse is unable to compensate and gets very sore. Then the KS is diagnosed.
Of my 3 horses, I have 1 who is retired (unmanageable); 1 who is in work and very carefully managed (he, for the most part is now asymptomatic); 1 who has bad xrays and seems to be quite fine (although he is ridden and managed like a KS horse).
Honestly, I think it’s a crap shoot and no one can predict w/ any certainty, unless the xrays are horrific coupled w/ being very symptomatic, of what bad xrays actually mean for the future.
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