Kissing spine
Kissing spine — overriding dorsal spinous processes — is when adjacent bones along the topline touch or overlap. It can cause back pain, a hollow or dipped back, and a drop in ridden work, but many horses have radiographic changes without clinical signs. A photograph cannot diagnose kissing spine. Diagnosis is a vet exam and radiographs. The conformation scan is a first look at back shape and build, not a verdict that your horse has kissing spine, and there is no kissing-spine scanner.
Symptoms to watch for
Reluctance to be saddled, girthed, or mounted — dipping, pinning the ears, or stepping away
A hollow, dipped, or tense back under saddle, or a sudden drop in ridden work
Bucking, rearing, or refusing to go forward after the saddle goes on
Stiffness through the back, especially when asked to bend or collect
Sensitivity or flinching when the back or withers are palpated
A change in posture — a dipped topline, or the horse holding the back rigid
Some horses show no obvious pain at rest; the first sign is poor performance
Common causes
- Adjacent dorsal spinous processes in the mid-back that touch, overlap, or have bone change between them
- A short or dipped back, or a build that concentrates load under the saddle — conformation is a clue, not a diagnosis
- Work that asks for collection, jumping, or a tightly fitted saddle on a sore back
- An old injury, poor saddle fit, or weak topline muscle that leaves the spinous processes closer together
- Not the same as a girth gall, a pulled muscle, or hind-limb lameness — those can look similar and need a vet
Prevention
- Keep the saddle fitted and the back muscled — a poorly fitted saddle on a weak topline is extra load
- Warm up before hard work and build collection and jumping gradually
- Watch for a hollow back, girthiness, or a sudden drop in ridden work and rest rather than riding through it
- Do not treat a photo, a dipped back, or a scan result as a diagnosis
- Conformation photos can help you and your vet look at back shape and build — they do not confirm or rule out kissing spine
What to do
- 1
Book a vet visit if the horse is girthy, hollows the back, bucks, or drops in ridden work. Diagnosis is a vet exam and radiographs, not a photograph.
- 2
Stop riding through back pain. Rest the horse and do not add collection, jumping, or a tighter girth hoping it will settle.
- 3
Check saddle fit with someone qualified — a poorly fitted saddle can hurt a sore back, but a new saddle does not diagnose or treat kissing spine.
- 4
Use a conformation scan only as a first look at back shape and build to share, not as a kissing-spine test. There is no kissing-spine scanner.
- 5
If kissing spine is confirmed, follow the plan your vet prescribes — that may include rest, physiotherapy, medication, or further imaging. Do not start a treatment protocol from a photo.
- 6
Keep the vet, saddler, and (if you have one) physio on the same page. Share what you see; do not treat a photo as a verdict.
Pick up the phone if…
Schedule a vet visit if the horse is reluctant to be saddled, hollows or dips the back, bucks, refuses to go forward, or drops suddenly in ridden work. Call sooner if the horse is in obvious pain, will not be touched on the back, or the behaviour is suddenly much worse. A photograph cannot diagnose kissing spine. Diagnosis is a vet exam and radiographs. The conformation scan is a first look at back shape and build, not a verdict, and there is no kissing-spine scanner.
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Educational content only. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.