Vega Equine Rehabilitation & Conditioning

03/05/2025

𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝗼𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝗼𝐰

Kissing spine (Overriding Dorsal Spinous Processes) is one of the most misunderstood causes of back pain in horses. Some cases cause discomfort, while others never show symptoms at all.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞?
It occurs when the bony projections (spinous processes) along the spine touch or overlap, causing pain, stiffness, and performance issues. It’s commonly found in barrel horses, jumpers, dressage horses, and reiners due to the demands of their jobs.

𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝗼𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞
• Shortened stride or reluctance to extend
• Bucking, stiffness, or hollowing under saddle
• Sensitivity to grooming or saddling
• Difficulty collecting or engaging the hind end
• Loss of topline despite good nutrition & work

𝐇𝗼𝐰 𝐃𝗼 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝗼𝐬𝐞 & 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐭?
X-rays confirm the severity, but not all cases require treatment. Many horses stay comfortable with injections and therapies that reduce inflammation, along with core and topline strengthening. Severe cases that don’t respond to management may require surgery, which can be highly successful. The best approach depends on the horse’s pain level, workload, and soundness.

Kissing spine varies in severity. Mild cases may appear on X-rays but cause no pain. Moderate cases can cause discomfort but are often manageable with injections, therapy, and strengthening. Severe cases result in chronic pain and sometimes require surgery.

𝐒𝐡𝗼𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝗼𝐮 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝗼𝐧 𝐚 𝐇𝗼𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐏𝐏𝐄?
Not necessarily. Kissing spine on X-ray alone isn’t a deal breaker. Many top performance horses have mild cases and never show signs of soreness in this area. It’s a concern if the horse is already extremely sore despite injections or if surgery is necessary for long-term comfort. However, if the horse is performing well, requires little to no maintenance, and has no signs of pain, there’s no reason to pass up a great athlete.

02/21/2025

Two common surgical techniques do relieve symptoms of kissing spines, but veterinarians still don't know exactly why they work

02/21/2025

Special thank you to all of our dear friends at the Denver Polo Club for their continued support.

02/12/2025

01/29/2025

Every day we are hustling!

01/16/2025

It has been an extremely busy season here at Vega Equine! We are so grateful for each and every one of our loyal customers and owe a huge thank you to all of our hard-working employees!

We are currently booking into May, June and July for rehab and conditioning .

Please reach out if you have any questions!

PS -with the cold front coming in - don’t forget the best electrolytes on the market for all of your horses! Every horse here at our place goes on them when we have cold snaps and weather changes! Preventative hydration helps a lot with colic!

Equilytes® was originally formulated for race horses for rapid electrolyte replacement, so our patented blend absorbs immediately. All other brands take over eight hours to be absorbed by the gut. This also allows electrolyte absorption even during the athletic event, giving you that competitive ed...

01/16/2025

https://youtu.be/0QDeskJRbQ4

The goal of this video is to give you the knowledge of when it would be appropriate to call your veterinarian and ask that they perform a neurologic evaluati...

01/07/2025

12/11/2024

This is so important!

11/06/2024

We started a new bunch of two year olds today with their swimming and pre-conditioning before they get started under saddle. Day 1, on the first two of 5 went amazing! Watch these transitions over the next 60 days. This one is out of MFR Fire N Mercedes x Fun N Fame

11/06/2024

Remember the 2 year olds we have been highlighting over the past 60 days? They swam for 60 days and are all getting started under saddle now. The transition over the past 60 days on them has been incredible. Excited to unfold the next chapter.

This is Cadi.
PCR Posing Cadi x Strike A Pose Rose