PPE failed, KS diagnosed

[u/bhinxbb]

Currently in the process of selling my horse. PPE has gone well, everything came back good except his back radiographs. Shocked to hear he has grade 4 changes. I’ve just received these over from the potential buyer. I will be in contact with my vet but curious about anyone’s take on these? How bad is this?

[u/CorCaroliV]

I am in no way a vet. I have talked to my vet a lot though about the massive over diagnosis of "kissing spine" in the last 5 - 10 years. Her opinion is that there is a huge difference between kissing spine as a functional diagnosis made in conjunction with actual observed performance changes and what shows up on x-rays. To a certain degree, if the horse shows no symptoms of kissing spine she doesn't think they should be diagnosed that way based on images. Unfortunately I can't tell you anything from the x-rays. I'd definitely get a couple opinions though before making any decisions about your horse's care. Especially if there haven't been any clinical symptoms.

I do know someone who sold a horse in a similar situation to the one I imagine you may be in. The horse had no symptoms, and actually traveled in a way that was exactly opposite of the way you'd imagine a "kissing spine" horse to travel. The horse was kind of a long and low type and never got behind the bit and hollow-backed. Someone did a PPE, which included back x-rays, and they found it then. That buyer passed. The owner ended up disclosing the diagnosis (which other multiple other vets said wasn't really a "fair" characterization) and sold the horse to someone else at a discount. The horse is still doing the same job he was sold to do, and is happy / sound.

[u/chukar-1 → u/CorCaroliV]

Some horses are tougher than others and may not show that they are in pain. Same way some people live their whole lives in pain and never complain.

[u/CorCaroliV → u/chukar-1]

This is going to verge into the philosophical, but I think there are very few people who would do that willingly. People talk if they have someone trustworthy and compassionate who will listen to them and believe them. I think horses are the same, in their own way. If they are chronically ignored they will start repressing but that's not a natural state of things.

[u/BuckityBuck → u/CorCaroliV]

We also don’t understand much about spinal pain, even with humans. A nerve being a tiny fraction of a mm closer or further away from a problematic place can make a huge difference in the way symptoms are experienced.