As recently as 10 to 15 years ago, equine back pain was usually dismissed as a secondary clinical sign of a hind limb problem. But with the advent of more sophisticated and powerful diagnostic technology and a better understanding of equine back pain as a problem in and of itself, veterinarians are making great strides in managing the problem more effectively. Many horses with deteriorating performance attributable to chronic back pain have been able to return to competition at a high level.

Locate the Problem

According to Kent Allen, DVM, of Virginia Equine Imaging, in Middleburg, the three major causes of back pain in horses are:

1. Kissing spines;
2. Osteoarthritis of the dorsal articular processes–the small joints located toward the top and to either side of the vertebrae; and
3. Muscular pain, such as from a short-lived sprain or a gait asymmetry, or secondary to bony pain in the area