Spinal Problems in Horses

The musculoskeletal system of the horse is an incredible machine strong fast efficient and capable of performing feats as varied as jumping obstacles and roping cattle. However horse owners are all too aware of the fact that despite this amazing athletic ability the equine body can be remarkably fragile. If one owns horses long enough he or she is bound to encounter a disorder of the equine musculoskeletal system. For most of us this conjures the image of a lame horse and many hours of cold hosing bandaging and veterinary visits. This is not without good reason as traditionally the limbs have been the focus of equine musculoskeletal injuries. Veterinarians and horsemen alike have long considered lameness to be the hallmark of equine locomotion disorders. The limbs comprise the appendicular skeleton and are complex delicate structures that are often subject to injury resulting in heat pain and visible lameness.
But what if a horse isnt lame but is also not quite right? Perhaps he just doesnt perform as well as he used to or is acting unfavourably under saddle. This vague and sometimes perplexing complaint is a common one presented to veterinarians when a horse fails to perform to his previous standard. While there are many medical or behavioural reasons why a horse may not be performing well one of the more common causes is pain originating from his axial skeleton or more specifically the spine.
Spinal pain in the horse can present with a variety of clinical signs depending on which part of the spine is involved see Equine Skeleton. Head tossing inverting the neck or resisting lateral or longitudinal flexion while being ridden are characteristic of pain in the cervical spine. Horses with thoracic andor lumbar discomfort may resent being groomed or saddled and may buck or rear when asked to collect in an attempt to escape the added pressure on their painful back. The signs of sacral pain include reduced engagement of the hindquarters dragging the hind toes or a bunnyhopping gait at the canter in which the hindlimbs move together rather than in a true threebeat canter. Occasionally horses with primary spinal pain do present with a true lameness. These cases can be difficult to diagnose as an appendicular cause of lameness must be ruled out prior to assuming primary spinal pain. Sometimes all that is reported in a horse with spinal pain is a decreased athletic ability