So… your horse has kissing spine

Whether you’re a professional in the industry or a horse owner navigating the diagnosis for the first time - hearing the words “kissing spines” can quickly send you into a tailspin.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!


Imagine…


  • Fully understanding the condition of kissing spines: the anatomy, why it happens and all of the variables at play

  • Having all of the top treatment options explained in one place

  • Knowing how biomechanics and movement impact recovery - including how to recognize healthy movement and posture

  • Having a step-by-step process to follow for bringing your horse back into work that can easily be adapted to any horse’s specific case

  • Feeling confident your training is supportive of your horse’s spinal health - preventing the condition from returning in the future.



…but rehabbing a horse with kissing spines presents a number of unique challenges:


  • Rehabilitation  protocols are often vague and non-specific

  • It’s easy to get hyper focused on the area on the x-ray… the big picture gets overlooked and recovery stagnates

  • People on the internet are trying to sell you the latest gadgets, supplements, and magic fixes - how do you know what is worth your money and what is snake oil?

  • The condition can return - even after surgery - if the root cause of the impingement is never addressed and dysfunctional movement is not changed

  • There are so many variables at play, so many options for treatment - how do you decide what is right for your individual horse?

  • How do you navigate training - is the horse resisting because of pain? Or is this learned behavior? 


You’re not alone in this overwhelming experience. Thankfully…


There is a solution.


The Kissing Spine Masterclass

A fully online, watch-at-your-own-pace course that takes owners and professionals alike from overwhelmed and confused to successfully bringing horses with kissing spines back into work through an understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, and physical therapy exercise principles.

The 6 Steps to Rehabilitation

Include additional content to your course curriculum to provide further value to your students.

  • Module 1: What is Kissing Spine?

    By the time you reach the end of module one, you’ll know everything you need to know about kissing spine. You’ll also gain a solid understanding of the anatomy of the equine back, learn how to assess your horse’s standing posture to accurately monitor change over time, and take a deep dive into equine spinal biomechanics.

  • Module 2: What can we do about it?

    Become an expert in all of the variables at play in rehabilitation. We will zoom out to observe the big picture and “set the stage” so that your horse is set up for success in their rehab program so you get results that last. Learn all about the common surgical and non-surgical treatment options available so you can discuss them with your veterinarian with confidence and develop the right plan for the individual horse.

  • Module 3: The Early Rehab Phase

    Module 3 begins with a discussion of rehabilitative exercise and what our big picture goals are throughout the process. Then, we dive into a selection of 8 gentle, stall-rest-friendly, exercises for core activation, body awareness, and spinal mobility. Special considerations for surgical and non-surgical cases are discussed throughout.

  • Module 4: The Handwalking Phase

    When I say “handwalking” most people just think about leading their horse around for 20 or 30 minutes… but there is so much more to it than that! Handwalking is where we start inviting a new and more functional posture with movement. We will talk about how to get things started on straight lines as well as how to progress with transitions, changes in speed, bending lines, obstacles like poles, and walking across varied terrain.

  • Module 5: The Lunging Phase

    This is where I see most people starting to make mistakes. Lunging can be done well - or lunging can be done in a way that actually makes a kissing spine horse worse. We want to avoid that second option at all costs - don’t worry… I’ll teach you how! Just like with our handwalking, we’ll start simple and then move into the various ways to progress our lunging as the horse builds strength and endurance. ‘Round and ’round in circles just ain’t it. You’ll learn how to do better than that!

  • Module 6: The Return to Riding

    The moment everyone is waiting for! It’s time to get back in the saddle. I’ve got some tips and tricks to bridge the gap if the weight of the rider is too much in the beginning, and then we’ll walk step-by-step through my riding progression.. By the time you make it through all of the “return to riding” exercises you should be well on your way to returning to your normal ridden work! You’ll also know how to assess for yourself if your horse is ready for whatever you decide to throw at them, because you’ve been building those skills since the beginning of the course.

Course curriculum

    1. So… your horse has kissing spines…

    2. A little disclaimer

    3. References & Resources for Further Reading

    4. One more thing… how the course is organized

    5. Additional Support

    6. Casey’s Story - A little encouragement!

    1. VIDEO So… what is kissing spine?

    2. So…What is Kissing Spine?

    3. BONUS: Let’s get oriented - a little terminology

    4. VIDEO Anatomy of the equine back part 1

    5. Anatomy of the Equine Back

    6. VIDEO Anatomy of the Equine Back part 2

    7. VIDEO Assessment of static posture

    8. VIDEO Biomechanics of the Equine Spine Part 1

    9. VIDEO Biomechanics part 2

    10. VIDEO Biomechanics part 3

    1. BONUS - Equine Ethograms and Recognizing Pain

    2. BONUS: Equine Body Language

    1. VIDEO So… what can we do about it

    2. So what can we do about it?

    3. VIDEO Setting the Stage for Rehab Success

    4. Setting the Stage for Rehab Success

    5. VIDEO Surgical Options

    6. Surgical Options

    7. VIDEO Non-surgical options

    8. Non-surgical options

    1. VIDEO Rehabilitative Exercise - general info

    2. Rehabilitative Exercise - General Information

    3. Return to Exercise Protocol Example for Non-Surgical cases

    1. Early Rehab Phase Background

    2. Exercise 1: Standing Square and Neutral

    3. Exercise 2: Thoracic Sling Lifts

    4. Exercise 2: Thoracic Sling Lift - another example

    5. Exercise 3: Diaphragm Connection

    6. Exercise 4: Belly Lifts

    7. Exercise 5: Pelvic Tilts

    8. Exercise 5: Pelvic Tilts example with another horse

    9. Exercise 6: Lumbopelvic Sidebending

    10. Exercise 7: Lumbopelvic Rotation

    11. Exercise 8: Lateral Tail Pulls

    12. BONUS: Example session with a fidgety horse

About this course

  • 70 lessons
  • 6 hours of video content

Here's How I'll Walk You Through Every Step

  • Over 6 hours of video content

    6 modules, 70 lessons, and over 6 hours of video content - tons of information broken down into bite-size chunks. Each video is supplemented with a written summary so you can feel confident you’re getting thorough information in a format you can understand and easily refer back to. As always, you keep lifetime access to the course curriculum!

  • Full Reference List

    You’d better believe I have a source to back everything up! You get the full list of sources included in the course material.

  • Facebook Group Support

    Ask all of your questions, share progress, and find a like-minded community in our dedicated Kissing Spine Masterclass facebook group.

Hi! I'm Dr. Barbara Parks

I’m an equine physical therapist and I’ve crafted this masterclass for equine professionals and horse owners rehabilitating horses with kissing spine - 

to take them from disheartened, confused, and on the verge of giving up

to having a fully rehabilitated, strong and resilient equine partner.


The Kissing Spine Masterclass is a culmination of my life’s work.


Six years ago, I jumped on the opportunity to take a certification program to apply my human physical therapy knowledge to horses, combining my passions and expertise.

But as I dove into the equine healthcare industry - I noticed something was missing…

Back pain was rampant - but rehab programs were vague, non-specific, or putting band-aids on symptoms rather than assessing the big picture and attacking root causes.


Horses weren’t getting better - or they weren’t staying better.

Because physical therapy for horses was not mainstream.

And that’s what I hope to change.

By educating both owners and equine professionals about equine anatomy, biomechanics, movement science, and the principles of safe exercise progression, we can begin to  bring the benefits of physical therapy to the equine world.

Physical therapy is standard of care for humans with back pain - but many horse owners don’t have access to an equine physical therapist in their area.


And that’s where the Kissing Spine Masterclass comes in. 


After helping countless horses through kissing spine rehabilitation in-person, I knew I had to bring this information to the masses. 

Kissing spine is one of the most common diagnoses I see with some studies finding it in over 40% of horses. I know how devastating this can be for the owners… It’s time for the equine industry to do better!


You. can. do. this. 


**This course is not intended to serve as a substitute for veterinary care, but rather a supplement to it. The best rehabilitation involves a team of professionals led by your veterinarian**

Meet your Instructor

Physical Therapist Barbara Parks

Dr. Barbara Parks, PT, DPT, CERP is a physical therapist for horse and rider based in the Nashville, TN area. Barbara received her doctorate in physical therapy from Belmont University and her Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner credentials from UT-Knoxville. She is also a PATH Intl. certified therapeutic riding instructor and spent some time teaching adaptive riding lessons prior to becoming a physical therapist. Barbara has a passion for positive reinforcement training and using clicker training in rehabilitative exercise and has pursued continuing education in equine bodywork, barefoot hoofcare and composite shoeing, equine nutrition, and equine behavior and learning theory in order to provide a whole-horse approach to rehab and injury prevention. She lives on a small farm with her husband, 5 horses, 4 cats, and 3 dogs.

What People Are Saying

Kissing Spine Rehab Success

Casey F.

I came to know and work with Barbara Parks unfortunately as a last resort. I tried and did all the things vets were recommending to me and despite my hardest efforts and thousands upon thousands of dollars spent, nothing was working. I knew there had to be more out there availble than what I was being offered, and there was! Barbara began working with me and my horse after he was diagnosed and surgically treated for both Kissing Spine, and multiple lateral left stifle tears including a torn meniscus. I was at a point where medically we had done everything we could do plus the time off given and I was not seeing the improvement(s) that I had hoped for. In one visit she proved to me that my horse could go sound, we just needed to rewire his way of carrying himself that he had become accustomed to from years of pain compensation. I am a professional in my discipline and have been considered such for nearly 20 years. Working with Barbara and her approach to therapy in motion has been completely life changing for me. My understanding of the horse has been completely changed and actually even simplified; not only from a phyical standpoint, but an emotional one as well. It's one of those, "once you see it, you can't unsee it" type of experiences. The horse that we worked together on went back to full competition, even competing at the highest level, where he was only given a "fair" prognosis from his surgeon. I use her methods now on every single horse that I work with because I believe that it truly helps them all to be their best. I am so thankful for our time together, my only regret is not knowing about this earlier in life!

Rehabbing Rescues

Kelsey Rast

Hi Dr. Parks! I just wanted to leave a review for your KS class! I just finished it this week and I LOVED it. I don’t have a horse with Kissing Spines, but I work for a rescue and we see a lot of horses come through in all sorts of horrible conditions. One in particular right now that looks fine to an untrained eye and is most definitely in pain. I’ve been implementing all of the warm up exercises you suggested and I can see him starting to think about being in his body. It made me feel so much more in control of the situation and so much more aware of each horse that comes in and what I can do for them and if I feel out of my depth, who I can reach out to. I love that you had us do the stretches on the ground to REALLY teach us what our horses were experiencing. It’s something I’ll never forget that way. I feel like this course was above and beyond what I could have hoped for. Especially with all of the citations for us to keep learning on our own, the Facebook group, your email for questions, you’ve outdone yourself. Thank you!

This was a wonderful course!

Shayna W.

This course was easy to follow, extremely informative, and had helpful tips to assist with horses diagnosed with kissing spines. I am so thankful to have additional knowledge to train my eye and add to the scope of my practice.

Start your journey

Are you Ready?


  • To confidently assess the available treatment options and choose the best option for YOUR horse

  • To approach training with a solid understanding of anatomy and biomechanics - ensuring long-term spinal health no matter the discipline

  • To be able to discuss your horse’s care with your vet in an educated way - so your entire care team stays on the same page

  • To get your horse pain-free and back to being the best version of themselves


Then the Kissing Spine Masterclass was MADE for you.

What are you waiting for? Get started today!

Start your journey to soundness!

The first step is clicking the button below :)

Join us!

Social proof: reviews

5 star rating

Must have Course for Rehab Cases of any kind!

Kelsey Rast

Even if your horse doesn't have kissing spines, I highly recommend this class, just ask any of my horse people. I gained so much information from this class ...

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Even if your horse doesn't have kissing spines, I highly recommend this class, just ask any of my horse people. I gained so much information from this class just in general rehab knowledge, how the body works, good biomechanics, good body function, how to look for compensatory patterns, etc. I took this class in order to prevent future problems as much as I did to work on rehab cases with my other rescue horses and it is relevant in different stages to all of them. I love this class so much and recommend it to EVERYONE!

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