02/04/2025
Very thought provoking work seen here by the wonderful Dr Sue Dyson ๐ด
๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐
For too long, weโve told ourselves that certain horses are just โdifficult.โ That some are lazy. That others are hot, quirky, or stubborn. That when they pin their ears, swish their tails, or refuse a jump, theyโre being naughty.
But what if weโve been wrong?
What if every pinned ear, every tail swish, every moment of resistance wasnโt defiance, but pain?
Dr. Sue Dyson has spent her life proving exactly that. And her findings are shaking the horse world to its core.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐โ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐
Dyson is no ordinary ex-vet. She is a globally recognized authority in equine orthopedics, specializing in lameness and performance issues in sport horses. Her extensive career encompasses clinical practice, research, and education, significantly advancing the understanding and management of equine lameness. She didnโt just observe horses, she listened to them. And what she discovered was heartbreaking: countless horses, across disciplines, were suffering in silence.
They werenโt refusing to move because they were lazy. They werenโt resisting the bit because they were stubborn. They werenโt stopping at jumps because they were disobedient.
They were hurting.
And no one was listening.
So, Dyson set out to change everything.
๐๐ก๐ 24 ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง: ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ
Her breakthrough came in the form of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE), a revolutionary tool that identifies 24 behaviors scientifically linked to musculoskeletal pain. Through years of research, she proved that horses exhibiting multiple of these behaviors were overwhelmingly more likely to have underlying pain issues. Behaviors we once dismissed, like an open mouth while being ridden, ears pinned back for extended periods, tail swishing in transitions, became undeniable red flags.
The implications of Dysonโs work are massive. If widely adopted, her research could transform equestrian sports, improving welfare standards across disciplines. It challenges trainers to rethink traditional methods, urging them to recognize pain before resorting to harsher equipment or stricter training regimens. It empowers riders to listen truly listen to their horses, to recognize when something is wrong before it escalates to a full-blown lameness diagnosis.
But Dysonโs research proved one undeniable fact: horses showing eight or more of these signs were almost always in pain.
๐๐ก๐ 24 ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ง
1. Ears pinned back for much of the ride
2. Regularly opening the mouth (with or without contact)
3. Holding the bit tightly or grinding teeth
4. Head tossing
5. Unsteady head carriage (constantly moving up/down or side to side)
6. Reluctance to move forward
7. Hurrying forward in an anxious way
8. Sudden stopping (without rider cue)
9. Reluctance or difficulty in transitions (walk to trot, trot to canter, etc.)
10. Rearing (lifting front legs off the ground)
11. Buckling at the knees or stumbling
12. Repeated changes in canter lead (unasked for)
13. Cantering with an irregular rhythm
14. Disuniting in canter (hind legs on a different lead than front legs)
15. Short, stilted steps instead of fluid movement
16. Hind legs not stepping fully underneath the body
17. Dragging toes or uneven steps behind
18. Difficulty turning smoothly
19. Excessive tail swishing (especially in transitions or changes of pace)
20. One hind limb more active than the other (one pushes, the other drags)
21. Rigid or hollow through the back
22. Gait looks mechanical, robotic, or stiff
23. Sudden kicking out (without clear reason)
24. Reluctance to jump, or jumping awkwardly
If a horse shows eight or more of these signs, itโs not bad behavior. Itโs pain.
๐ ๐๐๐ค๐-๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐
Dysonโs findings force us to face a painful truth: weโve been ignoring our horses.
Weโve blamed them instead of listening. Weโve used bigger bits instead of softer hands. Weโve demanded more when what they really needed was help.
Think about it, when a horse refuses a jump, do we immediately check for back pain? Or do we change the bit and push them harder?
When a horse swishes its tail in the canter, do we check for lameness? Or do we tighten the noseband and insist they โbehaveโ?
For too long, weโve asked, โHow do I make my horse comply?โ instead of โWhy is my horse resisting?โ
Dyson is challenging us to ask the right questions.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐
This isnโt guesswork. Dysonโs research proves that these behaviors are 10 times more likely to appear in lame horses. Sheโs tested, analyzed, and documented case after case, showing how subtle pain signs lead to serious issues if left untreated.
Sheโs given us the knowledge. Now, itโs up to us to use it.
๐๐ก๐ ๐
๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ: ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐
Dysonโs work isnโt just about diagnosing pain. Itโs about changing an entire mindset.
Itโs about rejecting the outdated belief that horses must be made to perform. Instead, itโs about creating a world where performance comes from comfort, trust, and understanding.
It means:
โ๏ธ Checking for physical pain before blaming behavior
โ๏ธ Getting thorough veterinary evaluations
โ๏ธ Ensuring proper saddle fit and rider balance
โ๏ธ Prioritizing physiotherapy, bodywork, and hoof care
โ๏ธ Allowing rest and recovery, instead of forcing through pain
Because the best riders arenโt the ones who dominate. Theyโre the ones who listen.
๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ
For years, people said these behaviors were just attitude. They said it was all in the horseโs head.
But Dyson has proven the truth. Itโs not in their head,itโs in their body.
And now that we know?
We have a choice.
We can keep ignoring the signs, keep blaming the horse, keep tightening the tack, keep looking the other way.
Or we can finally listen.
For every horse that has ever suffered in silence, the question is no longer: Why wonโt my horse do what I ask?
Itโs this:
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐?
Just bought this for a good read.
Also makes me question some of these TikTok influencers what their horses are trying to tell them, hmmm๐ค๐
https://www.harmonioushorsemanship.co.uk
