Woodside Equine Clinic

09/12/2025

✨🔍 Trivia Thursday Answer: The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain 🔍✨

Great guesses, everyone! During Animal Pain Awareness Month, we’re highlighting Dr. Sue Dyson’s groundbreaking Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE)—a checklist of 24 behaviors scientifically linked to discomfort and musculoskeletal pain in horses under saddle.

If a horse shows 8 or more of these behaviors in just 5–10 minutes of riding, there’s a strong likelihood of pain. Here’s the full list:

Repeated changes in head position
Head tilted or twisted
Head held too high or too low
Nose consistently behind the vertical
Nose consistently above the vertical
Reluctance to go forward or frequent loss of rhythm
Repeated tail swishing unrelated to flies
Reluctance to move straight or drifting
Reluctance to pick up or maintain a canter
Repeated stumbling or tripping
Spontaneous changes of gait
Bucking, rearing, or kicking out
Ears held back behind vertical for 5+ seconds
Ears frequently moving back and forth
Hind limbs consistently wide behind
Reluctance to maintain contact with bit
Reluctance to accept leg or spur aid
Reluctance to turn or bend
Tongue out or tongue repeatedly moving
Opening mouth for 10+ seconds
Grinding teeth
Reluctance to halt or stand still
Reluctance to rein back or back up crookedly
Sudden behavioral changes (e.g., refusing fences)

🐴 These signs don’t mean every horse is “naughty”—they’re communication signals! Paying attention helps us catch issues early and keep our equine partners comfortable.

💡 Takeaway: If you notice several of these behaviors, talk with your veterinarian. A thorough evaluation, saddle fit check, and integrative care plan can make a world of difference.

For more information, visit Dr. Dyson's website: https://www.24horsebehaviors.org/

09/11/2025

🔍✨ Trivia Thursday: Animal Pain Awareness Month Edition ✨🔍

Horses can’t tell us when they’re hurting, but their behavior often speaks volumes. 🐴💛

This week’s trivia question:
💡 What are some signs you’ve noticed that might indicate a horse is in pain? (Hint: It’s not always a limp!)

From subtle changes in attitude to unexpected movements under saddle, there are many ways our horses “talk” to us about their comfort. Share your guesses in the comments, and we’ll post the full list of common pain indicators—including some you might not expect!

09/09/2025

🍂🐴 Help Us Plan Our Fall Client Education Night! 🐴🍂

We’re excited to start planning our Fall Client Education Night this October—and we want YOUR input! 🤓💡

What topics would you love to learn more about?
✅ Preventative care tips
✅ Common lameness issues
✅ Emergency preparedness
✅ Senior horse care and managing age-related changes
✅ Vaccination and deworming strategies: what’s best for your horse
✅ Hoof care 101: farrier and vet tips
✅ Nutrition and feeding strategies
✅ Or something else?

Drop your ideas in the comments or send us a message! Your feedback helps us make this event fun, informative, and tailored to YOU and your horse’s needs. 🐎💙

📅 Stay tuned for the official date and details!

09/06/2025

🌟Happy Weekend!🌟

We had a blast filming this with Carissa — one of the amazing people who helps keep our horses (and humans!) smiling every day. 🐴💙

From barn crew to techs to doctors, it takes a whole team to deliver top-notch care, and we’re proud to show off a little bit of that Woodside spirit!

👇 Check out the video, share it with a friend, and let us know what YOU love most about Woodside!

09/01/2025

Happy anniversary to Dr Anderson!

08/28/2025

✨ As we wrap up a month of discussion around hospitalization at Woodside, our hope is that you now feel more informed about what to expect when a horse needs to stay with us — and have a clearer understanding of the types of situations where hospitalization is the best option.

We know that no one ever wants their horse to spend time in the hospital, but if they do, we want you to feel reassured that your horse will receive not only top-quality veterinary care, but also comfort, compassion, and support from our entire team. 🐴💙

And to round out our August Trivia Thursday series on hospitalization, we want to end on a fun note:

💡 If your horse could talk during their hospital stay, what do you think they’d say about their care team?

Drop your answers in the comments — funny, heartfelt, or creative — we can’t wait to read them! 👇

08/28/2025

Happy anniversary to hospital assistant Alyssa!

08/25/2025

08/22/2025

💡 Trivia Thursday Answer!

The correct answer is B & C! 🎉
At Woodside, our intern veterinarians live on-site and are available as needed for hospitalized patients, while our boarded surgeons oversee every case and remain available after hours. Supporting them is our dedicated nursing team, onsite 24/7, providing care, monitoring comfort levels, and administering medications to keep every patient safe and comfortable.

It’s important to remember that this set-up is different from human hospitals (and even many small animal ERs) — our doctors balance full workdays while also remaining available for emergencies, whether in the hospital or out on farm calls.
We are so grateful for the commitment of our doctors and nursing team who make this level of care possible for our patients, day and night. 💙

✨ Fun Question: If your horse could talk, what do you think they’d say to their overnight nursing team? Drop your answers in the comments below! 🐴👇

08/21/2025

🐴 It’s Trivia Thursday!

Caring for hospitalized horses doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. 🕰️ But who do you think is available overnight to care for patients at Woodside?

🤔 Cast your vote in the comments and check back tomorrow for the answer! (Hint: it’s more than you might expect 👀)