Equine Spine & Joint Care

02/01/2026

In addition to the features we already had, I have just finished coding to add in all of the incentive programs that I am aware of in to the system. There are so many it’s hard to keep track, but if you want me to add anything else, please reach out. I have added integration for all of these incentives in the breeding reports and stallion features page.

Here are the 23 incentive programs organized by discipline:

Barrel Racing (7 programs)

Future Fortunes
Pink Buckle
Ruby Buckle
Riata Buckle
The Payout
Royal Crown Incentive
WPRA Barrel Futurities

Cutting (5 programs)
NCHA Super Stakes
NCHA Stallion Stakes
Mercuria/Metallic Cat Incentive
Breeders Invitational
ACHA Incentive Program

Reining (4 programs)
NRHA Futurity
NRHA Sire & Dam Program
NRHA Derby
Stallion Service Auction Stakes

Reined Cow Horse (4 programs)
NRCHA Stallion Stakes
NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity
6666 NRCHA Stakes
NRCHA Derby

Ranch Riding (1 program)
AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge

All-Around (2 programs)
AQHA Incentive Fund
APHA World Show Incentives

01/05/2026

Did you know that EPM is not the only thing that causes neurologic problems in horses? EPM isn't even the most common cause of neurologic dysfunction in our equine athletes. Traumatic injury of the cervical spine (most commonly from setting back when tied) is a much more common cause of "clumsiness" in horses.

Every horse that has a halter on has had some degree of whiplash during or since halter breaking. We tie horses' heads to objects that do not move, and many of them end up hanging themselves. This creates various degrees of traumatic injury to the cervical spine, especially the facet joints.

The pictures show a normal articular facet in a horse's neck along with some examples of common injuries. These injuries affect the spinal cord, as well as spinal nerves, and can cause a horse to show signs of ataxia (incoordination).

Any time a horse has been treated recently for EPM, but is still showing neurologic symptoms, the neck should be evaluated and imaged. EPM is very easy to treat with toltrazuril or diclazuril. If you are being told that you need to keep treating for EPM month after month, something is being missed.

12/29/2025

Useful app!

We are excited to introduce a groundbreaking resource tailored to the unique needs of American Quarter Horse breeders.

This innovative platform offers a one-stop-shop for researching genetics, performance reports, and potential outcomes.

As a special introductory offer, new users can enjoy a complimentary one-week trial, and select stallions will be featured free of charge.

To showcase your stallion, please contact the page. A modest fee applies for non-selected stallions.

Our objective is to establish this resource as a premier destination for Quarter Horse breeding operations of all sizes.

12/03/2024

09/22/2024

Kissing Spines, or Overriding of the Dorsal Spinous Processes, is a commonly diagnosed problem affecting athletic horses in disciplines varying from barrel racing to racing thoroughbreds to dressage and jumpers. Radiographs are most commonly used to find dorsal spinous processes that are touching, and causing pain. From there, a plan to address the pain caused by these touching DSPs is formulated.

Many times, surgery to create space between the DSPs is recommended. This involves removing some part of the DSPs that are in contact. This is a faulty way to approach Kissing Spines.

Kissing Spines is not a primary disease, it is a symptom caused by lack of stability and support in the thoracolumbar spine. This lack of support leads to a "hollowed out" posture. (See picture showing various postures of the thoracolumbar spine)

There are multiple reasons that stability and support may be lacking. Some of these reasons include:
-Lack of hind end collection due to inadequate muscular development
-Injury to the muscles supporting the spine. This can result from slip and fall type accidents.
-Osteoarthritis of articular facets in the thoracolumbar spine
-OCD lesions in the thoracolumbar spine
-Pelvic injuries that make hind end collection painful
-Injury to the psoas muscle

Any time a horse is diagnosed with Kissing Spines, further diagnosis is required to find the primary cause responsible for the loss of stability and support for the spine. Once the primary cause is found, an appropriate plan can be implemented to address the real issue.

Addressing the primary cause of thoracolumbar instability leads to a much better outcome with less risk of causing further harm to the horse's back.

08/04/2024

Kissing Spines is NOT a disease!
It is a SYMPTOM of spinal instability.

08/02/2024

A commonly overlooked cause of lameness, reduced range of motion in the hind end, and decreased performance in athletic horses is osteoarthritis of the hip, or coxofemoral joints. Pain in this region is commonly attributed to the stifles. In cases of hip arthritis, stifle injections do not seem to help much, if at all.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a common hip disorder in horses that can lead to permanent lameness. It's caused by a loss of cartilage in the joints, which can be due to aging, trauma, or excessive use. Coxitis, an inflammation of the hip, can also lead to osteoarthritis.

Signs of hip arthritis in horses include:
Lameness: This can be intermittent, sudden, or slowly progressive, and may affect both the supporting and swinging leg.
Reduced range of motion: This can worsen over time.
Pain: The horse may be painful when the joint is manipulated, or may experience pain in the hips, buttocks, or groin that worsens during activity.
Stiffness: The horse may be stiff when first coming out of its stall or starting work, but may feel more comfortable after warming up.

Diagnosis of hip arthritis in the field can be made using ultrasound.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but it's usually possible to slow its progression with proper management. Treatments can include:
Anti-inflammatories such as NSAIDs or intra-articular corticosteroids, these can help relieve pain.
Biologic therapies such as platelet-rich plasma can help slow or stop the progression of the disease.

If you have a nagging lameness or change in your horse's gait that has been difficult to diagnose and treat, Dr. Taraba may be able to help. With over 22 years of experience diagnosing and helping some of the top equine athletes in multiple disciplines, Dr. Taraba has the specialized knowledge to accurately locate all types of musculoskeletal problems.

10/25/2023

Kissing spines is not a disease. It is a symptom of disease causing instability or decreased support for the thoracolumbar spine. Any spine disease that causes instability can lead to kissing spines as a symptom.

Because kissing spines is not a primary disease, surgery for kissing spines is rarely a good idea. Removing part of the dorsal spinous process(es) does absolutely nothing to address the spinal problem that led to kissing spines. Instead, medical therapy, such as injections or shockwave, to temporarily reduce pain combined with proper physical therapy and exercises can provide long-term relief.

09/20/2023

I've seen these images posted multiple times today, and I just want to make something clear. The images do have a good angle to them, but the hoof is too long. It should be trimmed up to the yellow line that I've added. Trimming this way moves the solar surface back and would center it under the coffin bone. Backing the solar surface up will also correct the underrun heels that are evident in the first image.

08/23/2023

It looks like they are trying to make the claim that their supplement will increase bone density. However, the only things that changed in the 2 navicular radiographs are: 1) a shoe was removed, 2) the technique (power of the xray tube) was turned down. There are no evident physical changes to the bone. The appearance is different because less power was used in taking the second radiograph.

When companies resort to this type of trick, it generally means that their product is pretty useless.