Kissing Spine Survivors

20/06/2021

✈️ Jet update here guys!!!

For those of you that are new here Jet is my main Eventer. He’s an OTTB and won the Brisbane Cup here in 2015.

He had kissing spine surgery with 6 spaces cut back in September 2020 and his journey has been far from easy…

Most recently I took him to the University of QLD to have his suspensorys scanned!

Go check out the full video on my YouTube channel! Link ⬇️
🎥 https://youtu.be/TTWJ0v1yz9Y

If you have missed his KS surgery video and other rehab video’s you’ll find them all there.

I’d really appreciate if you could give the video a Like and comment any questions you have! Oh and if you aren’t already PLEASSSSE subscribe ✔️

17/06/2021

Contact???
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What is this infamous thing?
Guess what if you can't feel your horse's mouth, it can't feel you! If you hands are delicately being carried around by the withers and your reins have lovely floppy loops in them- I'm sorry to inform you, you do not have "contact"
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I can already predict your transitions aren't great with the whole "on the bit" aspect!
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comment 😳/ 😮 If you feel like I have secretly been watching you school your horse 🤣
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09/06/2021

BACK PAIN!!! 😩
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Soooo frustrating, stressful and in some cases debilitating. The signs can be super variable ➡️ from pinning its ears when you saddle it up to refusing jumps 😖
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❗️Bain pain checklist❗️
✅ Saddle fitting within last 3 months!
‼️ Note- IF your saddle has apparently been fitted but you take it off and there are dry patches or ruffled hair then it is NOT fitting....just because you've paid someone your hard earned money does not mean your saddle fit is a 👌

✅ Bodywork eg massage, physio, acupuncture, chiro
(if your horse is in A LOT of pain please seek veterinary attention first!
‼️ Make sure anyone you use is accredited and that doesn't mean they did a 30 min online lecture!!

✅ Vet!!! everyone likes to think that vets play no part in back pain or muscle soreness!!! 🤦🏽‍♀️ The Bain of my existence...muscular pain is so often secondary...An experienced equine vet is still crucial in figuring out whether you need to see a Physio, saddle fitter or have more diagnostics done.

✅ Teeth- bad teeth can affect how a horse is moving under saddle. Eg tensing through the neck, resisting to flex/ bend-> over time, like anything can cause a sore back.

Ok there are many more things that are on this list....
what can you add below in the comment??? ⬇️

02/06/2021

Those of you that picked the black saddle (which was 2) as the best fit were correct.
There is more space from the spine along the gullet and if you look closely where the saddle sits close to the withers the black gives room so the shoulders are able to move freely and also carry the weight better along the entire panel rather than pinching at the front.
Of course a saddle fitting can't just be done from this view, this was just an example to show the space along the vertebrae
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if you are getting sleepy spots when you take your saddle off it doesn't fit! get in touch with a reputable and accredited saddle fitter!
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I personally swear by county saddles- all the saddle fitters are master saddle fitters and they're world wide.
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Saddles are custom made and if your horse has had kissing spine surgery or has kissing spine discussions can be had regarding a slightly wider gullet.
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How often do you get your saddle fit checked???
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27/05/2021

Can a badly fitting saddle cause kissing spine???
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Well in reality we won't know! My theory however is definitely, if it is used for long enough.
A badly fitting saddle can really affect how a horse uses its back. Although dressage saddles are culprits also, I think jumping saddles exacerbate it due to the force that comes down the bars of the saddle from the weight of the rider.
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So many saddles that I check at lessons/ clinics that fit so poorly. Not so much from a standpoint of incorrect gullet size but more due to lack of muscling behind the shoulders/ over the topline and the saddle therefore sitting down too low and causing tight pressure points.
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Who here sees dry spots when they take their saddle off??

26/05/2021

‼️Saddle fit is sooooo important‼️
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Which saddle gullet do You think is better for the back especially a kissing spine horse- Saddle 1 (brown) or saddle 2 (black)❓

17/05/2021

🐔 Chicken or Egg 🐣
Kissing spine- is it the only issue?
The first issue found?
Or secondary??

Very commonly kissing spine is present in a horse with other lameness issues eg PSD or Proximal suspensory desmitis.

This may be found at the same time, prior or often later on during rehab.

This can be very disheartening but of course we strive for soundness in our horses and hope to back competing on them.

Being aware that more than one thing is often going on and others are going through the same journey can make this news slightly less awful...maybe.
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Who’s been here? Here now? 🙋🏻‍♀️
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Those of you starting out on your surgery/ rehab journey come join my other lovely patrons on Patreon....

https://www.patreon.com/kissingspinesurvivors?fan_landing=true

16/05/2021

❓How’s rehab going❓
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Are you on track? Or have you hit hurdles didn’t expect?
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It is very normal to have ups and downs during rehabilitation. Whether new injuries are discovered after sorting other painful areas, or due to muscular fatigue and pain from the new strengthening patterns.
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It’s mega important to stay open to your horse, notice any changes and if you have concerns consult a professional!!’
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📩Please send me a message if you’d like any help and know that I’m available for video analysis consultations...

01/05/2021

💥Sacroiliac Pain 💥
The Sacroiliac Joint - The wannabe!!
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It’s either the clingy friend or the slightly outcast cousin that is always tagging along!
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The Sacroiliac is the area where the spine and pelvis attach- it’s called a “joint” as there is a wee bit of movement and a bit of cartilage and joint space but it’s not like an elbow or hip. It’s not meant to move a great deal!
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As you can imagine a hefty amount of force comes through the hindlegs of a horse and we are always talking about how to engage the hind leg to lift the back blah blah- well if either the back or the Hindlegs have an issue you can imagine the sacroiliac would also like to get involved!
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Before kissing spine became the new craze, everything had sacroiliac pain!
I personally do think it is underdiagnosed and still a common issue but likely perhaps (don’t quote me on this) not on its own!
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Rehab for SI and backs are similar and all aiming for the same thing! Stronger topline, a body being used correctly and pain free/ lameness free hindlegs!
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Who here has had a horse with a Sacroiliac problem???

29/04/2021

💥Hindlimb lameness & Back Pain💥

If they were people they’d be besties 👭
Back pain is very common in horses.
This varies between tight muscles from regular work that requires maintenance body work, pain from the actual back or from over compensation due to pain elsewhere.

Often there is more than one thing going on. A horse with hindlimb pain will compensate its way of going to lessen the pain which over time causes pain in the back. Can it cause Kissing Spine? Sure- perhaps! Chicken or egg?

Pretty much everything we do as humans can give us back pain! Sitting at a desk for too long, flat feet, long hike, lifting things too heavy...the list goes on! Horses are the same- however much bigger and much more complicated, with 4 very strong strings for legs...

Neither back pain or hindlimb lameness is necessarily easy to diagnose and often one issue is found and solved then the next rears it’s nasty little head!!!

22/04/2021

Bone Shave VS Lig Snip
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If you’ve heard of kissing spine surgery, it could have been one of 2 options.
✂️ Ligament Snip
Or
🪚 Bone shave
You may be wondering what the difference is and why would one be done over the other.
Both surgeries require having the skin and muscle to be cut open, the ligament snip however is less invasive.
✂️Generally speaking the lig snip involves having the ligament between the Dorsal Spinous Processes (DSPs) cut or stretched. There is theory that nerves will also be cut during this surgery and the pain relief may be from a neurectomy type procedure.
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🔪The Bone shave involves having portion of the DSP removed.
🔪🔪🔪 The Bone Shave is really an Ostectomy- which means having bone cut and removed. Sometimes tops of some DSPs will be removed, entire DSPs or a portion down one side that is in contact with another DSP. During this surgery the ligament will still be stretched/ cut
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With me so far???
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Which surgery is performed? This tends to depend on the surgeon. Perhaps due to severity of the impingement of the DSPs (how close they are) and the bony change etc. other surgeons may do one or the other technique regardless.
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What has your horse had?
Or which would you go for?
Would you just be guided by your vet?

P.S. If you’re on your own Kissing Spine surgery go join us over on Patreon for more videos, support, rehab programme and Q & As

https://www.patreon.com/kissingspinesurvivors?fan_landing=true

18/04/2021

Kissing Spine has been being treated medically for years! Many are still turning to this more conservative route or treatment rather than surgery.
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Previous studies showed that there have been good responses to medical treatment. These include but are not exclusive to steroid injections into the spaces between the DSPs, mesotherapy and shockwave. However there have been reversion back to original clinical signs within a year or so.
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These studies do not expand on the type of work the horses were undergoing, whether they followed any sort of rehab or if the clinical signs that returned were as bad.
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We are gaining more and more insight into kissing spine, back pain, the link between kissing spine and other lameness and this can only be a good thing.
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I think as an owner it is important to realise that even if you don’t go down the surgical route for treatment, medical manager is still likely to be costly and entails ongoing treatments and rehabilitation.
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Who of you have had your horses medically treated versus surgically treated?
Comment below ⬇️ 💉 or 🪚

08/04/2021

Hi Guys, I have made this page so that I am available to those of you that aren't necessarily on instagram. Best way to get hold of me is via email [email protected] or DM.

Everyone is at a different stage of their kissing spine journey and I am here to help you the whole way along. As much or as little as you want.

You can just follow the page to gather information or come join us over on Patreon for more exclusive content and to work more one-on-one with me.
https://www.patreon.com/kissingspinesurvivors?fan_landing=true

I look forward to meeting more of you here on FB

Jodie
JEDS Equine x

08/04/2021

08/04/2021