The Osteopathic Vet

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The Osteopathic Vet

Tom Beech is a Veterinary Surgeon and qualified Equine Osteopathic Practitioner EOP.
(3)

Providing a unique evaluation and treatment to help release your horse's potential. As a veterinary surgeon and a qualified equine osteopath (EDO) Tom specialises in equine poor performance issues. Some of the many performance issues include:
Sacro-iliac issues, hock problems, gelding scars, ovarian problems, lumbar problems, bucking, kissing spine, spavin, low level/intermittent lameness, navicul

ar syndrome, lack of propulsion, reduced performance, problems on one rein, bitting issues and head-shaking. He provides osteopathic treatments across the whole of UK and Europe and currently lectures in Germany and USA.

20/06/2026

Reverse Kissing Spine

Part 3 of 3: Visceral Relationships + Management

So far in the previous articles we have discussed what reverse kissing spine is, how it is formed, how it relates to kissing spine and also about some of the other mechanical issues that it can create elsewhere in the body.

In this final part we will discuss the visceral (organ) relationships of reverse kissing spine and also how it can be managed.

Visceral/Organ Relationships:

Reverse kissing spine tends to form from lumbars 1-4. These are incredibly important vertebrae when it comes to most of the organs.

The key relationship is that the spinal cord runs through these vertebrae. From each of the vertebrae, branches of spinal cord come off and supply the following organs:

Hindgut
Ovaries + Uterus/Testicles
Small Intestine
Kidneys
Spleen
And indirectly the stomach and liver.

Problems in the vertebrae create problems in the spinal cord and can lead to an increased chance of issues in the related organs.

Some of the common visceral findings of horses with more advanced reverse kissing spine are:

• Sensitive digestion (almost like IBS) – bloating, colic, sensitive to dietary changes especially with forage such as grass, hay/haylage.
• Strong seasons in mare and overly frequent
• Regular bouts of gastric ulcers

Do NOT underestimate the role of the organs on spinal tension patterns.
Upset organs create very restricted vertebrae which can then create limb tension and even lameness.

As was mentioned in Part 2, the diaphragm attaches to the lumbar spine too. It has a key role in breathing. However, due to its pumping motion, it also has a role in squeezing old blood out of the organs in the abdomen.

When the spine is restricted (due to reverse kissing spine) then the diaphragm can’t move as well. This not only affects the breathing efficiency but also causes the
organs to be more congested with old, stagnant blood.
This increases the chances of these
organs being upset further.

Managing Reverse Kissing Spine:

• First and foremost it is important to evaluate the WHOLE HORSE to determine how it started (the initiating factor), how far it has spread, what else is being affected in the body and to what degree.

This is the most important step as if you don’t know what is going on, you will just be shooting in the dark wasting time, energy and money.

• Depending on what is causing the reverse kissing spine, you will likely need to manage a number of factors more effectively than what you are at the minute.
This will no doubt include….posture and exercise regime, foot balance, dental balance, saddle fit and also diet/organ supplementation.

Everything will be centred around reducing the initiating factor as best as possible.

Also, depending upon the severity it could be that the reverse kissing spine may need
medicating.

Likewise, some of the related areas may need medicating especially if the problem is deep rooted and has been spreading its issues for a long time.

Horses with reverse kissing spine can go on to perform well but they require tight management.

Once again, you need to make sure the whole horse is considered when creating a management plan. That plan starts with a thorough, whole horse evaluation.

If you feel that your horse may have any of these issues, please seek advice from a qualified professional sooner rather than later

13/06/2026

Reverse Kissing Spine

Part 2 of 3: The Mechanical Relationships

In this second of three articles about reverse kissing spine we will be looking at the mechanical relationships of this spinal issue.

The roach/flexed region that forms the reverse kissing spine in the lumbars tends to be found in the first four vertebrae (lumbars 1-4).
These vertebrae are hugely important from a mechanical and visceral point of view. It is the former that we will discuss now and the latter in the third and final part.

How Does A Roach Form?

In a lot of cases the roach is formed due to a sub-optimal conformation. There is a natural curve to a horse’s spine but when it is accentuated in the lumbars it is called a roach.
Horses with pelvises that are too flat are particularly at risk. The flattening of the pelvis increases the likelihood of the lumbar-sacral region being too low and so forcing the lumbar spine up towards
a roached/flexed position.

Often horses with a flatter pelvis will have a raised section towards the tail, near the back of the pelvis where the base of the sacrum is being held under tension
too.

Some roaches can form due to a one-off injury. Others can form due to a repetitive strain injury. These cases are often in horses that have been repeatedly put under too much strain when their skeleton was still immature.
Racehorses can suffer from it more than most due to starting hard work at a young age but also through the relationship of the diaphragm and the lumbar spine.

High intensity training + Immature skeleton = Increased Chance of Roach

There are many other factors that can add to the tension of a roach, but those are the factors that tend to play the biggest role.

How Does The Roach Affect The Body Mechanically?

The flexed vertebrae that make up the roach are often linked to extended/dropped areas in front and behind it. In the first article we spoke about the kissing spine that can form under the saddle, in front of the roached lumbars.

Behind the roach, you can often see a dropped lumbar-sacral junction. This is an incredibly important region as it is one of the most mobile regions of the spine and plays a key role in projecting power from the hind end through to the front end.

If the lumbar-sacral region is dropped/extended then it cannot move properly and you will have a lack of performance. This can almost be to the point of feeling like you have left the handbrake on!!

The roach itself (often made of lumbars 1-4) have other mechanical relationships. From an osteopathic point of view they have links to the cervical bones (neck) and the hindlimbs too.

Often when your horse has a roach in the lumbars 1-4 there is an increased likelihood of the lower half of the neck being restricted too. The neck bones and the lumbars are strongly related.

As for the hindlimb, osteopathically L1 relates to the fetlock, L2 to the hock, L3 to the stifle.
Increased tension in these vertebrae can increase the chances of their related joints being restricted too. L2 is often found to be the most restricted vertebrae in a lot of roaches as it sits close to the peak of the roach.

It is often found that these horses get intermittent hock tension both within the joint itself and in the suspensories. So it is always worth checking the back if you have issues in the hindlimbs.

As always, it is important to consider the WHOLE HORSE. For example, a pelvic conformation issue could be leading to a roach in the lumbars which in turn is causing kissing spine, a drop in the power and performance due to the lumbar-sacral region, tension in the neck and restrictions to the hind limb joints including lameness.

It needs to be identified as quickly as possible for if the roach remains too restricted then there is an increased risk of arthritis forming = reverse kissing spine!

In the third and final article we will be looking at the visceral relationships of the roached area as well as what can be done to manage it.

12/06/2026

A lovely week working in the Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey).

Always great to catch up with friends and clients there.
The weather just about held long enough for a bracing swim in the granite sea pool.

I'll next be on the islands in early September.
Please get in touch if you'd like an appointment.

06/06/2026

Reverse Kissing Spine

Part 1 of 3: What about the roach??

Reverse kissing spine in the lumbar vertebrae (behind the saddle) is one of the most overlooked precursor to kissing spine in the thoracic vertebrae (under the saddle).

Kissing spine is unfortunately a very common finding in a lot of ridden horses.

From an osteopathic perspective, kissing spine is not considered to be a primary issue. This means that it is caused by something else.
If you can find what the initiating factor is in enough time, you can often manage kissing spine well. However, if you do not or can not manage the initiating factor well enough then the kissing spine will only get worse.

What Is Kissing Spine?

Kissing spine usually occurs under the saddle region (thoracic spine). It forms when the spine is not able to lift (flex) properly in that area. Over time the dorsal spinal processes of each vertebrae get close and rub. This can create inflammation which can lead to pain and eventually arthritis in that area.

Signs Of Kissing Spine:

• Reduced top line under the saddle
• A “pitting” between the spinal processes
• Reluctance to work
• Saddling/Mounting issues
• Bucking and performance issues
• Regular, persistent stomach ulcers

If the spine gets too close then the vets may medicate them or even operate. Unfortunately, I am yet to meet a horse post kissing spine surgery who is not restricted in that region.

What Causes Kissing Spine?

Anything that causes the horse to consistently move in a hollow/extended manner. This can include poor ridden/exercise posture, conformation, injury, poor saddle fit, foot balance, poor dental balance to name a few.
One thing that gets hugely overlooked as an instigator of kissing spine is the lumbar roach.

What Is A Lumbar Roach?

A lumbar roach is a section of the lumbar spine that is held more in a flexion (up, opposite to kissing spine).

In kissing spine the vertebrae are down/extended like a smiley face. In a roach the vertebrae are more up/flexed like a rainbow. See picture below.

This is usually over lumbars 1-4 with 2 and 3 being under the most strain (an important point discussed in later articles in this series).

How Can A Lumbar Roach Create Kissing Spine?

Well, what goes up…must come down. The greater the severity of the roach (flexion) in the lumbar spine, the more the areas either side are pushed down/extended (and vice versa).
In this situation the more dominant the roach, the greater the risk of kissing spine. The vertebrae in front of the lumbars (the thoracic spine/ under the saddle) are pushed down into extension. This is an initiator for the start of the kissing spine process. See image below.

So What Is “Reverse” Kissing Spine?

Kissing spine is where the vertebrae are held more down/in extension. As a result the tops of the spinal processes can rub each other and form kissing spine.

Reverse kissing spine is when the vertebrae are held up/into flexion. The lower parts of the vertebrae (facets and bodies) are now under pressure and closer together. They now kiss in the opposite area to the normal kissing spine. Hence the term reverse kissing spine. Other names will include lumbar facet arthritis and spondylolisthesis.

Reverse kissing spine usually occurs behind the saddle where a degree of roaching has
occurred. Kissing spine is usually found under the saddle region.

In this three part series, we will be looking into the relationships (mechanical and visceral) of the reverse kissing spine, how it can form and how it can be managed.

(P.S Yep, you read that right earlier…. Other things can cause the lumbar roach to form. This means that in some cases the roach is second on the list and something else is the cause…..but it also then means that kissing spine on your horse might not be second on the list…it might be third!!
So it is then even more important to get on top of those issues causing kissing spine.
Otherwise you won’t make any progress if you only treat something that is second or third on the list and not number one!) Treat the WHOLE HORSE and treat the root cause.

05/06/2026

A lovely week working through South Yorkshire.
A great two day treatment clinic at Riverside Equestrian DN11 9EX with Gill Liggins and Michaela Preston.

I'll next be at Riverside on Mon 14th and Tues 15th September.

24/05/2026

Spring seems to have stuttered this year. A warm spell in late February started an early moult. However, a cold snap quickly followed and seemed to halt the process.
As the weather has improved the moult has tried to finish.

With this staggered spring, a lot of horses have struggled to complete their moult easily.
Osteopathically, a lot of horses have been showing signs of liver and kidney issues.

This is very common at this time of year as the moulting process is a DETOX process. The liver and kidneys are the detox organs so are needed to help the moulting process.

During a prolonged or strong moult, the liver and kidneys get put under strain. This is even more prevalent in horses who have underlying issues.

SIGNS OF LIVER/KIDNEY INVOLVEMENT:

Beyond the retained winter coat, you can often find your horse is lethargic and almost like they are moving with the handbrake on.

Due to the location of the liver and kidneys you can get a number of tension patterns that can affect performance....

Kidneys often create lumbar and hind limb tension. Left kindney affects the left hind and can affect right canter. Right kidney can affect canter.

The liver sits predominantly on the right so often right fore issues ensue, especially involving the shoulder joint.

A good starting point is to complete a liver and kidney detox. Spring and Autumn are key times for this.

However, should issues persist it could well be that areas need releasing to help them get back on track.

08/05/2026

A busy week through Hertfordshire, Essex and on to Lomond Equestrian RH6 0HN this weekend.

Some great new cases. Also, some lovely results with the follow ups. Here is Loki below, he has come on leaps and bounds this last 6 months. I'm so happy for him.

I will next be in the area mid August as well as at Barnston Hall Stud CM6 3NY that week too with Lomond Equestrian RH6 0HN on the weekend.

If you would like an appointment, please get in touch.

01/05/2026

A wonderful week through the north west. Absolutely stunning countryside throughout Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Excellent cases too, both new and follow ups. Just like this beautiful boy here. Such a change in him over the last 12 months. Great to see him well on his way!

I'll next be in the area from 3rd August and at Brook Farm WA3 6HX on Wed 5th August.

If you would like an appointment, please let me know.

25/04/2026

Busy two weeks working through the South West (Devon, Somerset, Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire) then I was in the Midlands.

Two busy clinic days. Porterswood Farm Livery NN12 8TE and Featherbed Stables CV37 9UQ.

Some interesting cases. It was also great working alongside other professionals such as Tina Fitzgibbon, Sara Lentini, Helen Coye and Dan Wain.

I will next be at Featherbed Stables CV37 9UQ on Fri 22nd May, Potterswood Farm Livery NN12 8TE Thurs 6th July and I will be heading through the South West from Mon 20th July.

If you'd like an appointment, please let me know.

Address

9 Cobbetts Way
Wilmslow
SK96HN

Telephone

+447834490445

Website

http://www.theosteopathicvet.co.uk/

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