![]() ![]() Of course the most severe clinical sign of Kissing Spines and other back-related conditions is avoidance behavior or, in other words, bucking and throwing the rider. In addition to this example, constant swapping from the right to left lead and back again is another common sign that a horse is attempting to bring comfort to their back and failing to do so. While headed to the first barrel, these horses are known to sometimes straighten and run past the barrel in an effort to avoid the movement that they know causes them pain. For instance, barrel racing horses may become agitated in the alley, anticipating the pain they’ll feel when bending around a barrel. These shifts in behavior can range from subtle to dramatic and can present as horses becoming irritable or frantic when confronted with a situation that bends or stretches their back. The most common clinical sign that there may be trouble lurking in the back is behavioral changes. Melinda Story of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, a well-known performance horse veterinarian boarded in both surgery and sports medicine and rehabilitation, and also certified in both equine chiropractic care and acupuncture. ![]() Frequently, horses with back pain start showing subtle signs early on, and it is always my hope that we can learn to recognize these cases before the horse compensates and has a secondary injury,” says Dr. “One of the challenges in these cases is helping owners and trainers recognize that the horse may be really struggling and uncomfortable, even if they are not showing any lameness. At the same time, each horse’s pain tolerance and personality differ greatly, resulting in a widespread collection of symptoms that requires imaging to definitively diagnose. It was originally published here: Clinical SignsĪs diagnostic capabilities and the pathological understanding of Kissing Spines have improved, common clinical signs of the condition have also been identified. This article is sponsored by Platinum Performance. One of the critical first steps in identifying a Kissing Spines case is for a veterinarian to perform a comprehensive whole-horse examination. ![]()
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