Cover photo: Exmoor Ponies by Sarah Hailstone
Our vision is of a world where all horses are cared for and trained with kindness and understanding.
Our shared values are compassion, harmony, empathy, patience, partnership, and honesty.
Our compassion is for all equines, and also for our fellow human beings, offering a supportive community, where open mindedness allows us to learn from each other We adopt the 'Five Freedoms' principles that were developed for farm animals and which are: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behaviour; and freedom from fear and distress
Our commitment is to promote successful human horse relationships in which equine welfare is paramount Through sharing education and knowledge that are based on science, research, evidence based practice and compassion, we create thoughtful practices in care, management and training
Fundamental to our beliefs is the fact that horses are sentient beings, capable of being aware of sensations and emotions, of feeling pain, of suffering and of experiencing a state of well being With this in mind, we acknowledge that the management, handling, training and riding of horses must be in such a way that fear and distress are removed, or at least reduced to an absolute minimum
We believe in listening to the horses, supporting the learning style that allows for the horse's individuality, and giving them the time to develop both mentally and physically
We believe that horses should have freedom of movement and expression, this applies to all the ways we manage, live, work and connect with horses, and eliminates the use of restrictive equipment and force
Our desire is to be a force for good, and a voice for horses all over the world
FROM SCOTLAND Bonny Mealand Equine Podiatrist who specialises in working with wild and feral equines The face behind 'Touching Wild'
FROM IRELAND Michael Duffy Concordia's IT Manager
FROM ENGLAND Dr Jo Hockenhull animal welfare researcher at the University of Bristol Vet School
FROM CANADA
Susan Gordon horse trainer and the co author of 'The Compassionate Equestrian'
FROM ENGLAND Ben Hart one of the UK's leading equine trainers, public speaker and author Ben utilises the science of equine behaviour, always putting the horse first
FROM ENGLAND Nicky Langley Concordia Director
FROM ENGLAND Milly Shand Concordia Director, writer and Creative Editor.
FROM ENGLAND
Gillian Higgins BSc BHS Senior Coach Equine anatomist, biomechanist, presenter, coach, author & rider Director of Horses inside Out!
FROM NEW ZEALAND Lindsey Field MSc clinical researcher and the face behind 'The Study of the Equine Hoof'
FROM ENGLAND Sue Palmer MSc Chartered Physiotherapist and author
FROM CALIFORNIA Gabriele Meyer Magazine Manager, Content Editor, researcher and writer.
FROM ENGLAND Graeme Green Equine Facilitated Learning practitioner & trainer
FROM HOLLAND Dr Karin Leibbrandt vet, horse trainer and author of 'Compassionate Training for Today's Sport Horse'
FROM ENGLAND Jennifer Geach Co founder of the Athena Herd Foundation CIC & Facilitated Learning Practitioner & trainer
Oh, my goodness I know that you are going to love reading every article! But these are some of the things that I am most thrilled about:
♥ Helping to launch the free 35 minute film on The 24 Behaviours of the Ridden Horse in Pain It’s life changing for horses and humans alike
♥ Welcoming onto our writing team trainer Ben Hart He is famous for thinking from the horse’s point of view and putting the needs of those he works with, equine and human, first I first met Ben when he was giving a presentation at a British Horse Society Welfare Conference, he asked us to imagine being trapped in a lift and what we would most want Fresh air, a view, friends, food; it was a good analogy for the stabled horse, although, I must admit, my first thought was the need for a loo!
♥ Welcoming onto our writing team a second household name! Anatomist and biomechanist Gillian Higgins has given life to learning equine anatomy with her artistic talent for drawing anatomical structures on the surface of living creatures and her enthusiastic style of presenting through demonstrations, videos and books.
♥ Concordia is about giving a voice to all equines and their people. So it’s great to be sharing the first of Bonny Mealand’s Stripey Tangent adventures and fabulous photos from her studies in Africa of those most striking of equines, the zebras.
As usual, Dr Jo shares some super interesting equine scientific research. She looks at how stabling is not just detrimental to mental health but can also affect the immune system Then overviews the science behind the necessity of social licence, which is needed for the very survival of equine sports In a recent UK poll, 40% of respondents only supported the use of horses in sports if their welfare was improved, and 20% did not support the continued use of horses in sports under any circumstances I think, good news for the horses and a wake up call for the industry!
Dr Jo also reports on the 18th International Equitation Science Conference. It is an overview, but if there is anything that you would like to read more about then please contact us Particularly uplifting was the news that discoveries of science are actively affecting the practices of equine veterinary hospitals in order to minimise the stress of their patients
Tessa Roos article on stabilising the horse's back looks at the rider in a mild half seat position. After my own heart, I love the light seat. As an event rider, it was something that I grew up with, as a dressage rider I was probably given funny looks as I cantered around in a poised position in a top hat and tail coat! Looking at the photos, Gabriele our wonderful manager and editor observed that the hind hoof appears to be coming to the ground fractionally before the front hoof and asked "Does that mean that the 2 beat trot when ridden correctly is not exactly a 2 beat?" The answer to that question will be in issue 6.
Freedom, Forage, Friends and Shelter the title of our new series that explores the science and the equine management arrangements that accommodate this philosophy. In part one, the Athena Herd Foundation discuss their hybrid barefoot track system in ‘seeking choice and wellbeing.’ We invite you to share your systems with us too.
Never again will I say ‘just a bit of seedy toe’, those sneaky little anaerobic microorganisms are utter b’s! Lindsey Field’s article on Seedy Toe explains it perfectly
Too much more great stuff to discuss I hope you enjoy reading the magazine articles as much as I have You can help make the world a better place to be a horse by sharing the link to this magazine with your friends and on social media
I leave you with timely and appropriate words from Susan Gordon, in her article on the benefits of self reflection
“Are we willing to change for the benefit of our horses?”
Many thanks and all the best, Milly Shand Creative Editor Concordia Magazine
Thismightbeoneofthemostlifechanging35minutesinthelifeofanyequestrian
Thisfilmhastakenmeonaprofoundlyemotionalandretrospectiverideasitwilldo,Iexpect,formanymillionsofother equestrians.Icried,literallytearsrunningdownmycheeks.Theyweretearsofbothsadnessandjoy.Sadnessonagloballevel, thathorsesaresomisunderstood Sadnessonapersonallevel,thatforsomanyyearsmycompetitiveandprofessionalself, listenedtotheexpertsandnottomyheart Happinessthat,atlast,horsesarebeinggivenavoicethatcanbetaughtand understoodbyanyoneSadnessthatitwasn’taround40ormoreyearsagoIt’salsogivenme,myprofessionalfriendsandmany others,vindication whatwehavebeensayingforsomanyyearsisthetruth we’renotmadafterall!
Thefilm,producedbyPadmaVideoinassociationwithTrainWithTrust,isadocumentaryfeaturingaworldrenowned expertinequineorthopaedics,DrSueDyson,andherresearchonhow“bad”horsebehaviourcanbeanearlyindicatorofpain
Welearninthefilm,someshockingstatisticsabouthowmanyhorsesarebeingriddenwhenlame(inpain)Idon’tthinkthis iswhatabilliondollarequineindustrywillwanttohear,anditstruckmethatDrDysonandherteamareextraordinarily bravetodotheresearchandpresenttheirfindingssohonestly
ThefilmfollowsDrDysonandDrJimMyersofGoldCoastEquine,astheyexamineanddiagnoseshowjumperLauren McMahon’sbelovedmare,Galina
MyheartwentouttoLauren,whoisclearlydevotedtoGalinaThemareisnotobviouslylamebutunhappywhengroomed, tackeduporriddenManyofushavebeeninLauren’sposition,havinga“reluctant”or“lazy”horsewith previoustothis research noclearindicationofpain
FortunatelyforGalina,shehasLaurenFortunatelyforLauren,shehasDrDysonandherteam,includingGalina'sregularvet DrMyers,tohelpherunderstandwhatisgoingon
Oneofmyhorses,Rubi,wasrarelyhappytoberiddenItookhertoexpertsineveryfieldIcouldthinkofShehadyearsof examinations,treatments,xrays,testsandscansbutnobodycouldfindwhatwaswrongIttookmealongtimetolistentomy intuition nature'spainethogram andretireherAfterretirement,avisitingvetadmiredherandaskedwhatshedidItold himthatshewasretiredbecauseshedidn’twanttoberiddenandthatwesuspecteditwasduetosomeundiagnosedpainHe toldme,withoutexamination,thatIshouldsendherawaytoaprofessionalrider“onewithanindoorschoolwhowouldride herthroughit”Sorrowfully,thisistheattitudeof Iwouldguess themajorityinthemainstreamequestrianworld
Trainersoftentellridersto“pushthehorsethroughit”andIhopetoGodthatIneversaidthattoaclient.Certainly,inrecent decades,it’sbeensomethingthatIhatedtohear.Butwithhindsight,Iamsurethatasaprofessionalrider andincommon withmostexperiencedriders therehavebeentimeswhenIinadvertentlyoverrodepaintogethorsestoacquiescetomy wishes.Theequinepainethogramwillbringthisawarenesstomanymoreequestrians Ifearthatitmaybeabitterpillto swallow butitwill,Ibelieve,positivelychangethefaceofequestriantrainingandsport. Inyearstocome,wewillallbeabletohearthevoiceofthehorse.Wewillappreciateandaspiretolightnessandharmonyand ourheroeswillbetheriderswhoaretrulyinpartnershipwiththeirhorses.
Many thanks to Sue Dyson and all her team for giving horses a voice and sharing their film free of charge. It is undoubtedly a film that anyone who loves horses should watch and share.
PhotocreditKathrynLauritzen/PadmaVideo
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About Sue Dyson: Dr Sue Dyson specialises in equine orthopaedics, with a focus on lameness and poor performance in sports horses She lectures internationally and is known both for her clinical work and extensive research having published over 370 peer reviewed papers on lameness and diagnostic imaging in scientific journals She also co authored several veterinary textbooks, as well as training and competing at National level in both eventing and show jumping Dr Dyson is co authoring a book on the subject, ‘Recognising Pain In Ridden Horses: Performance, Partnership and Potential’, with more info available at wwwrecognisingpaininriddenhorsescouk
About Padma Video: Padma Video creates educational, marketing and documentary films specialising in the human animal bond. www.PadmaVideo.com
About The Train with Trust Project: The Train with Trust Project strives to educate people about animals and the use of evidence based training and behaviour methods to promote productive, trust based relationships between them. https://trainwithtrust.com/
MillyShandasked:
What inspired you to carry out this research?
Was there any particular incident or patient that triggered a need in you to take on this enormous task?
TherewerethreemajorfactorsthatstimulatedthisresearchAftermanyyearsasahorseperson,attendingevents,watching trainingsessionsortryinghorsespriortopurchase,andasalamenessdiagnostician(includingridingclients’horses)Iwasaware thatridersandtrainerswerepooratrecognisinglamenessandpainrelatedabnormalitiesofcanter.
Ialsorecognisedthathorsesweregoodatdisguisingovertlamenessbymodificationsofmovement.Poorperformancewas oftenattributedtoahorsebeingdifficulttotrainortheinadequaciesofarider.Abnormalbehaviourwasattributedtobeing normalforhorses,forexample,‘Myhorsehasalwaysbeengrumpy;that’snormalforhim’
Asaresult,horseswereoftenpresentedforinvestigationwhenproblemshadbeenpresentformanymonthsorevenyears,with secondaryadaptationsofgait,muscledevelopmentandotherproblems.Theseproblemsaremoredifficulttoresolvethana recentonsetproblemandIwasthereforefrustratedthatproblemshadnotbeenrecognisedearlier.
Throughobservationoflameandnonlamehorsesandchangesinhorses’behavioursaftertheresolutionoflamenessusing nerveblocks,Iwasconvincedthatmanyofthesocalled“normal”behavioursshownbyhorseswereactuallyareflectionof pain I,therefore,hopedthatthiscouldbescientificallyvalidatedandthatitmightbeeasiertoteachridersandtrainersto recogniseabnormalitiesofbehaviourratherthanlameness
Isubmittedascientificpaperforpublicationinaresearchjournalwhichdescribedidiopathic(meaningwedonotknowthe precisecause)hoppingtypeforelimblamenessinriddenhorses.Thesehorseshadcharacteristicgaitabnormalitiesonlywhen ridden,butthelamenesscouldnotberesolvedbynerveblocksorsystemicallyadministeredanalgesic(painrelieving)drugs. Nonetheless,Iwasabsolutelyconvincedthatthelamenesswaspaininduced.Lamenesswasoftenepisodicduringawork periodandwhenpresent,mosthorseswerelesswillingtogoforwardsandshoweddramaticchangesintheirfacialexpressions, reflectingdiscomfort
Anyscientificpaperhastoundergopeerreviewbyexpertsinthefieldandthereviewersrejectedthethesisthatthislameness waspaininduced.Iwasshockedthatsomeequineveterinarianscouldnotrecognisebehaviouralsignsofpainandsharedthe videofootagewithDrJeannineBerger,ahorseman,veterinarianandDiplomateoftheAmericanCollegesofbothVeterinary BehaviourandAnimalWelfare,whoconcurredthatthehorseswereunquestionablyshowingbehaviouralsignsofpain.
Finally,anupperlevelthreedayeventhorsewithmultipleproblemscontributingtopainandpoorperformance,whichhad undergoneinvestigationbymyself,wasthesubjectofaninsuranceclaimforpermanentincapacityasaneventhorseOnthe adviceoftheirveterinaryconsultant,ahighlyrespectedequineveterinarian,theinsurancecompanyinsistedonavarietyof treatmentsovermanymonths,despitethehorseprogressivelydeterioratinginitsabilitytoworkanditsbehaviourwhen ridden.Ifoughthardonwelfaregroundsandeventuallytheclaimwassettled,butIwasappalledbytheapparentfailureto recognisethelevelofdiscomfortthatthishorsewasbeingmadetoendure.
Soitwascleartomethattherearemanymythsintheequineworld,andageneralfailuretorecognisepainasacauseofsub optimalperformance,amongequineprofessionals,includingveterinarians,andlaypeople,andsomethingneededtochange
PhotocreditDrSueDysonSuePalmerasked:
What do I do if I think my horse is in pain but my vet says she’s not lame?
Manyvets,whenperformingagaitassessment,onlyevaluatehorsesmovinginhandandonthelungeatwalkandtrot,despite thefactthatthereisclearevidencethattherearemanyhorseswhichappearnonlameinhandandonthelunge,butshow lamenessorabnormalitiesofcanterwhenridden
ItisimportantthatyourvetassessesthehorseriddenandperformingitsfullworkrepertoireThevetmustevaluatethehorse movingfrombehind,infrontandfromtheside Theymustconsiderthehorse,tack,ridertriad,anyofwhichmaybe contributingtodiscomfortduringriddenexercise Notallequinevetsareexpertsinlamenessassessment,justasahuman medicalGeneralPractitionerisnotusuallyasportsmedicinespecialistItmaybenecessarytoconsultanequinevetwhohas developedexpertiseintheassessmentofriddenhorses
BonnyMealandasked:
How does the RHP Ethogram relate to the unridden horse? If with the influence of rider weight, control and tack they are showing the signs described in the ethogram, is it fair to conclude that if they exhibit these same signs when being led or moving freely in the field we can infer the horse is in some discomfort and showing signs of musculoskeletal pain?
SomeofthebehavioursoftheRiddenHorsePainEthogramareonlyapplicabletoariddenhorse,forexample,thebitpulled throughtooneside.Howeverotherbehaviours,suchastheearspinnedbackforatleastfiveseconds,anintensestareforfive secondsormore,repeatedexposureofthesclera,movingtheheadrepeatedlyfromsidetosideorupanddown,mayreflect discomfort.However,caremustbetakennottomisinterpretbehaviourswhichareshownwhenahorseisinteractingwith otherhorses.
Photocredit Kathryn Lauritzen / Padma Video
Sue discusses case with Dr. Jim Myers
Thereareunquestionablysomeriderswhoareindenial,andwhodonotwanttofaceuptothefactthattheremaybeapain relatedproblemIncreasingly,giventhebodyofevidencebehindtheRiddenHorsePainEthogram(PerformanceChecklist), ridersarebecomingmoreacceptingthata‘badattitude’mayreflectdiscomfortInsuchsituations,usinga‘painrelieftrial’is sometimeshelpful(despiterecognisingthatnotallmusculoskeletalpainisabolishedbyanalgesicdrugssuchasphenylbutazone)
Iencourageaclienttokeepadailyrecordofahorse’sperformance(andalsobehaviour)foroneweekbeforestartingtreatment, ideallyalsosupportedbyvideofootageIthenadvisethatthehorseistreatedwithphenylbutazone44mg/kgtwicedailyfor7 to10dayswhilecontinuingtoridethehorsedailyandloggingperformance Treatmentisthenstoppedandridden performanceisdocumentedforafurtherweek Someridersarebetteratrecognisingdeteriorationinperformanceafter stoppingtreatmentthantheyareatrealisingimprovementinperformanceduringtreatment
IthasbeenmyexperiencethatthedatawhichshowthathorsesthathavehigherRiddenHorsePainEthogram(RiddenHorse Checklist)scoresperformlesswellthanlowerscoringhorseshasbeenanincentiveforsomeriderstoacceptthattheirhorse mayhaveanunderlyingproblem
However,thereremainsagroupofscepticsamongtrainers,coachesandriderswhohaveyettobeconvincedthatpaincanbe anunderlyingcauseofreducedperformanceorproblemswithtraining,andtheyseemdeterminedtousecoercivemethodsto trytoproduceresults
Italsohastoberecognisedthatsomeridersdonotfacethesituationthatitistheirridingskill,position,weightdistribution, balance,abilitytofollowthehorse’smovementandfitnessthatmaybecontributorytothehorse’sperformance Insucha situationcomparisonofthehorse’sperformanceandbehaviourwiththenormalriderandamoreskilledridercanbehelpful
Insomeinstances,thecombinedapproachofanenlightenedcoach,asaddlefitterwhorecognisestheimportanceofsaddlefit forbothhorseandrider,aphysiotherapistwhocanjudgeriderpostureandbodycontrolandaskilledveterinariancanconvince anunreceptiveriderofthepresenceofproblemsthatneedaddressingforthewelfarebenefitofthehorse
SusanGordonasked: Will this help with handling the client who will not accept that the horse is in pain...or keeps deflecting to "the attitude problem."? PhotocreditKathrynLauritzen/PadmaVideoDrKarinLeibbrandtasked: Why did you choose this selection of behaviours?
DrJeannineBerger,ahorseman,veterinarianandDiplomateoftheAmericanCollegesofbothVeterinaryBehaviourand AnimalWelfare,andIreviewedvideofootageofmanylameandnonlamehorsesanddevelopedaninitialethogram comprising117behaviours,eachofwhichwasweightedaccordingtothelikelihoodofittobeassociatedwithpainorconflict behaviourandgivenscoresbetween0and3(forexample,bothearsforwards0,earsoscillatingbetweenuprightandtosideand backwards1,oneearuprightandoneearbackforatleast5seconds2,bothearspinnedbackforatleast5seconds3).
Theethogramassessedheadpositionandmovement,eyeexpression,visibilityofthescleraandmovementoftheeyelids,ear positionandmovement,mouth(jaw,teethandlips)movements,tonguepositionandmovement,tailcarriage,rhythmintrot, straightnessintrot,consistencyoftrot,avarietyofaspectsofcanter,willingnesstowork,resistances,spookiness,bucking, rearing,salivation,transitions,stumbling,hindlimbtoedragandbitposition.
Thisinitialethogramcomprising117behaviourswasthenappliedto13nonlamehorses(whenevaluatedinhand,afterflexion tests,onthelungeonsoftandfirmsurfacesandridden)and25lamehorses.
Bydeterminingthefrequencyofoccurrenceofeachbehaviourinlameandnonlamehorses,andutilisingtheweightingof eachbehaviour,weestablishedtheRiddenHorsePainEthogramwhichcomprises24behaviours.Themajorityofthe24 behaviourswereatleast10timesmorelikelytobeseeninalamehorseversusanonlamehorse.
SusanGordonasked:
What is your "best practices" recommendation for approaching a client whose horse is exhibiting painrelated behaviour?
Ithasbeenmyexperiencetodatethattherearedifferenttypesofriders therearethosewhoaresurethattheirhorsehasa problemandarefrustratedthattheirtrainerblamesthehorseortherider’sskillandthevetfailstoidentifyanylamenessandsays theproblemmustbebehaviouralTheseridersembracetheuseoftheRiddenPerformanceChecklist,encouragetheirownvet oramorespecialistvettoinvestigatefurther(perhapssupportedbytheobservationsofaparaprofessional,suchasa physiotherapist)andaredelightedtofindanswersfortheirproblemsandhopefullytotreatandmanagethoseproblems,evenifit meansreducingathleticexpectations
Thereareotherriderswhoquestionwhyahorseisnotprogressingdespiteappropriatetrainingandareopentothesuggestion ofusingtheRiddenPerformanceChecklisttodetermineifunderlyingpainmaybetheproblem
Iencouragepeopletoacquirehighqualityvideofootageoftheirhorses,obtainedfrombehind,infrontandfromtheside,forat least5to10minutes,performingthefullrepertoireofmovementsthatthehorseisexpectedtoperform,asaminimuminwalk (short),trot(toinclude20m&10mdiametercircles)andcanter(aroundtheperipheryofthearena&20mdiametercircles)on theleftandrightreins,includingtransitions.BasedonthisIcanmakeanassessmentofthehorse’sgaitsandbehaviourand advisehowbesttoproceedfromthereon.IcaninformaclientandexplainwhyIbelievethereisapainrelatedproblem,and howitshouldbeinvestigatedfurther,bearinginmindthatthetriadofhorse,riderandtackneedstobeconsidered.
Itisimportantthattheequineveterinaryprofessionacknowledgesthatnotallvetshavetheknowledgeorexperienceto investigatehorseswithlowgradelameness,andthatreferraltoanappropriatepersonwiththerequiredskillsisrequired.These horsesneedinvestigationbytheuseofnerveblockstodeterminethesource(s)ofpain.Fishingexercisesusingradiography(x rays),skeletalscintigraphy(bonescans)orotherimagingtechniquesasthefirstlineofinvestigationareoftenexpensive, unrewardingandsometimesmisleading.
MillyShandasked:
There is a growing awareness of social licence and it has been widely acknowledged that horse sports are under threat if the general public does not support them. How do you think the 24 Behaviours of the Ridden Horse in Pain influence social licence? Or, how would you like it to influence social licence?
Ibelievethatequinesportsareatacrossroadsandeveryoneintheequineindustryhastoactproactivelytoprotectthesocial licencetoridehorsesandtousehorsesincompetition.Asalifelongrider,whoappreciatesthephysicalandmentalbenefitsof riding,Iwanttoseehorsesportscontinue.Wehavealreadyseenhowsocialmediacanbeusedtoattackridingandtraining methods.
TheRiddenHorsePainEthogramisatoolandlikeanytool,theuserhastolearnhowtoapplythetoolcorrectlyand accurately.Appropriatetrainingisneeded wehaveshownthattrainingimprovestheaccuracyoftheapplication. Nonetheless,theRiddenHorsePainEthogramorRiddenHorsePerformanceChecklistwasdesignedtobeusedbyanyone withaninterestinhorses.Itisnotaspecialisttool.
Wehavepublisheddataonmorethan1500horses(nonlameandlamehorsesworkingathome,lamehorsesorhorses performingpoorlybeforeandafternerveblockstoabolishlameness,competitionhorsesfromnovicetoelitelevel)andhave repeatedlyshownthatatotalscoreofeightormoreofthe24behavioursislikelytoreflectmusculoskeletalpain.However, whenassessinghorsesincompetitionthevastmajorityofhorseshavescoresbetween0and6,withthemostfrequentscores being2and3atelitelevelGrandPrixdressageand5*threedayevents.Thesedatacansupportthesociallicencetousehorses incompetition
Wehaveshownthathorseswithscoresof7ormore(at5*threedayevents)or8ormore(atBritishEventing90,100and Novicelevels;eliteandsubeliteGrandPrixdressagecompetitions)performlesswellthanlowerscoringhorsesWesuggest thatbymonitoringahorse’sperformancechecklistscore,horsescouldbeidentifiedearlyoninthedevelopmentofaproblem, andbyappropriateinvestigation,treatmentandmanagement,thehorse’squalityofperformancecouldbeenhancedandits welfareprotected
Weneedtoresettheeyesofhorsepeopleaboutwhatconstitutesahappyathleteandhowacomfortableathleterespondsto correcttrainingEveryoneintheequineindustryhastobepreparedtotakeresponsibilityforprotectingoursociallicenceto ride
Weneedtoeducateriders,coachesandjudgesthata‘happy’horseislikelytoperformbetter,beeasiertoride,bemore complianttoride,beeasiertotrain,enabletheridertobeinabetterposition,besafertorideandgivearidermore confidenceWeneedtoeducateriders,trainersandbreedersthatsomeofthemoderndaytrainingtechniquesarenotgood forequineperformancelongevityandneedtochangeJudgesmustnotrewardsuboptimalperformance
Could you tell us if any particular equine sport stood out in its negative impact on welfare?
Currently,weonlyhaveobjective,scientificallyvalidateddataonhorsesinvolvedindressageandeventhorses,withsome currentlyunpublisheddataonshowjumpinghorsesandsomepreliminaryobservationsonendurancehorses.Thedatacurrently indicatethattherearemorepotentialwelfareproblemsatthelowerlevelsofcompetitionthanattheelitelevel.Weneedfurther dataonshowjumpinghorsesandhorsesinvolvedintheWesterndisciplines(forexample,cutting,reining,androping).
.
reflectionoftheuseofadoublebridle?
Did you find that the results of your research were in line with what you suspected or were there some shocks/surprises?
Asariderofhorsessincechildhood,exposedtohighqualitycompetitionhorsesandlowlevelpleasurehorsesandmany differenttrainers,andasanequineveterinarianwhohadspecialisedinlamenessandpoorperformanceforthirtysevenyears whentheresearchstartedinearnest,Iwasnotatallsurprisedbyourresults
Ihadalwaysrecognisedtheimportanceofriddenexerciseaspartofalameness/poorperformanceassessment Iappreciated changesinbehaviourinmyownhorseswhentheywereexperiencingdiscomfort Ihadriddenmanyclients’horsesand appreciatedhowawfulsomefelt(stiffandnoncompliant)despitetheabsenceofconventionalsignsoflameness(headnod,‘hip hike’)andhowtheyweretransformedinbothperformanceandrideabilitywhenthepainwasremovedbynerveblocks
PhotocreditDrSueDysonenHorsePainEthogram(RHpE)isalistof24behaviours, tyofwhicharetenormoretimesmorelikelytobeseenina musculoskeletalpain.Studieshaveshownthatahorsewho rmoreofthe24behaviourslistedintheriddenhorsepain islikelytohavemusculoskeletalpain.
e, you want to know that your horse is not in pain or rt!
ysonandIareintheprocessofwritingabookabouthowto painintheriddenhorse.Specifically,thisbookwilldescribe ntheRiddenHorsePainEthogram(whichwasdeveloped ysonandcolleagues),howyoucanuseittohelpmonitor se’s quality of life, and its application in relation to ism’ssociallicencetocompete.Therewillbecasestudies, onsfromrelevantprofessionalsandorganisations,anda nofthesciencethatgotustothispoint.
attingtoclients,I’verealisedhowfewpeopleareawareof nHorsePainEthogram.Thisarticleistohelpbridgethat aresomeofthebasics.
ut we’re not great at recognising lameness.
nttodoourbestforourhorses,andtobelievethattheyare comfortable.Inordertoknowthattheyarecomfortable, ogetbetteratrecognisingwhentheyareuncomfortable. diesshowthatwe’renotgoodatrecognisinglameness.We whenahorseisobviouslylimping Buthowaboutwhen ightlyunlevel,orwhenhe’slameonmorethanoneleg,or justaslameonhisrighthindasheisonhislefthindsohe symmetrically?
fromtheresearchthatitcanbedifficultforevenqualified nstoagreeuponwhichlegahorseislameon,andthe lameness,themoredifficultitisWeknowit’seasiertosee amenessthanhindlimblamenessIt’sclearthatthehorsewill ensatory movements to avoid putting so much weight he lame leg(s), and we’re starting to understand those ionsbetter,buttheycanmakeithardtotellwherethe heproblemis
Allofthis,andmore,meansthatusingbehaviouralassessments suchastheRiddenHorsePainEthogramtorecogniselameness intheearlystagescouldimprovehorsewelfare Thiscouldbe useful,forexample,whenthere’snolamenessvisibleinhand, whenit’sofsuchalowlevelthatit’shardtosee,orwhenthe compensatory patterns of the horse’s movement mask the lameness
YoucanusetheRiddenHorsePainEthogramwithyourown horseAsksomeonetovideoyouridinghim,afterwarmingup, for5to10minutesIncludewalk,trotandcanteronbothreins, transitionswithinandbetweenthepaces,10mcirclesinrising trotinafigureofeight,andanymoreadvancedmovementsthat youandyourhorseareabletoperformasapartnership Video thehorsemovinginastraightlinetowardsandawayfromyou fromtwodifferentcornersofthearenaWatchthevideoasmany timesasnecessarytoworkyourwaythroughthelistof24 behaviours,markingthemas‘yes’or‘no’A‘yes’scores1,anda ‘no’scores0Youmaywanttouseastopwatchforsomeofthem, and/oraprotractortomeasureangles,togetamoreaccurate score
Howaboutdoingthisexerciseonceamonthwithafriend,as partofmonitoringyourhorse’swellbeing?Youcanvideoyour friend,andtheycanvideoyou,andyoucangothroughthe videostogetherLikeanyskill,itwilltakepracticeanditwillget easierwithtimeKeeparecordofyourhorse’sscore,andcontact yourvetforfurtherinvestigationifhescores8ormoreoutof24
You can be more confident that your horse is comfortable Theearlierthatlamenessisspotted,ingeneral,theeasieritisto resolveit.Astudyshowsalinkbetweenhigherscoresonthe RiddenHorsePainEthogramandhigherdressagepenalties,a higherlikelihoodofeliminationorretirementfromthecross countrycourse,andalowerfinishplaceat5*level Themost commonscoreforhorsescompetingat9differentWorldCup GrandPrixdressagecompetitionswasacomparativelylow3/24. TherewasanegativecorrelationbetweentheRHpEscoreand judges’scores sothehighertheRHpEscore,thelowerthe judges’goodmarks Thesamerelationshipwasobservedatthe BritishGrandPrixChampionships.Rememberthat8/24isthe thresholdthatsuggestsunderlyingmusculoskeletalpain.Soif you’relookingtogetbetterresultsatcompetitions,ortobemore confident that your horse is comfortable, and you want to proactivelymonitorhisriddenbehaviour,tryusingtheRidden HorsePainEthogram.
The majority of the behaviours listed below are ten or more times more likely to be seen in a horse with musculoskeletal pain.
Facialmarkers
Theearsrotatedbackbehindverticalorflat(bothoroneonly)forfiveormoreseconds,or repeatedlylayingtheearsflat
Theeyelidsareclosedorhalfclosedfortwotofiveseconds
Thesclera(whiteoftheeye)isrepeatedlyexposed
Anintensestareforfiveormoreseconds
Themouthopensandshutsrepeatedlywiththeseparationofteeth,fortenormoreseconds
Thetongueexposed,protrudingorhangingout,and/ormovinginandout
Thebitpulledthroughthemouthononeside(leftorright)
Bodymarkers
Repeatedchangesofheadposition(up/down,butnotinrhythmwithtrot)
Headtilted,repeated
Headinfrontofvertical(morethan30degrees)fortenormoreseconds
Headbehindvertical(morethan10degrees)fortenormoreseconds
Headpositionchangesregularly,tossedortwistedfromsidetoside,correctedconstantly
Tailclampedtightlytomiddleorheldtooneside
Tailswishinglargemovements:repeatedlyupanddown/sidetoside/circular;duringtransitions
Gaitmarkers
Arushedgait(frequencyoftrotstepsgreaterthan40in15seconds);irregularrhythmintrotor canter;repeatedchangesofspeedintrotorcanter
Gaittooslow(frequencyoftrotstepslessthan35in15seconds);passage-liketrot
Hindlimbsdonotfollowtracksofforelimbsbutdeviatedtoleftorright;onthreetracksintrotor canter
Canterrepeatedstrikeoffonthewrongleg;changeofleginfrontand/orbehind(disunited)
Spontaneouschangesofgait(e.g.,breaksfromcantertotrot,ortrottocanter)
Stumblesortripsrepeatedly;repeatedbilateralhindlimbtoedrag
Asuddenchangeofdirection,againsttherider’sdirection;spooking
Reluctanttomoveforward(hastobekicked,withorwithoutverbalencouragement),stops spontaneously
Rearing(bothforelimbsofftheground)
Buckingorkickingbackwards(oneorbothhindlimbs)
Sue Palmer: https://www.thehorsephysio.co.uk/ To be the first to hear when the book is available, please sign up for free for my newsletter.
Dr Sue Dyson: https://www.vetswithhorsepower.com/sue.html
List of the 24 behaviours in the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram in picture format: https://files.constantcontact.com/5053f732801/b9329bf3-b527-4cd7-a204ea1f8da25d6d.pdf (courtesy of the Saddle Research Trust)
Saddle Research Trust: https://www.saddleresearchtrust.com/
Online course by the Equitopia Center, please also see page XX in this magazine: https://www.equitopiacenter.com/shop/how-to-recognize-the-24-behaviors-indicatingpain-in-the-ridden-horse-dr-sue-dyson/
If you’d like to look into the science and the studies behind and around the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram, here are a few of them (in no particular order):
Dyson, Sue. (2021). The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram. Equine Veterinary Education. 10.1111/eve.13468
Dyson, S., Berger, J., Ellis, A., Mullard, J. (2018a) Development of an ethogram for a pain scoring system in ridden horses and its application to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain. J. Vet. Behav.: Clin. Appl. Res. 23, 47-57
Greve L, Dyson SJ. The interrelationship of lameness, saddle slip and back shape in the general sports horse population. Equine Vet J. 2014 Nov;46(6):687-94. doi: 10.1111/evj.12222. Epub 2014 Feb 27. PMID: 24372949
Greve, Line & Dyson, Sue. (2018). What can we learn from a visual and objective assessment of non‐lame and lame horses in straight lines, on the lunge and rid-den?. Equine Veterinary Education. 32. 10.1111/eve.13016
Mullard, Jessica & Berger, Jeannine & Ellis, Andrea & Dyson, Sue. (2016). Development of an ethogram to describe facial expressions in ridden horses (FEReq). Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. 18. 10.1016/j.jveb.2016.11.005
Dyson, S., Berger, J., Ellis, A., Mullard, J. (2017) Can the presence of musculoskeletal pain be determined from the facial expressions of ridden horses (FEReq)? J. Vet. Behav.: Clin. Appl. Res. 19,78-89
Dyson, Sue. (2017). Equine performance and equitation science: Clinical issues. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 190. 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.03.001
Dyson, S., Berger, J., Ellis, A., Mullard, J. (2018b) Behavioural observations and comparisons of non-lame horses and lame horses before and after resolution of lameness by diagnostic analgesia. J. Vet. Behav.: Clin. Appl. Res. 26, 64-70
Dyson, Sue & Dijk, J.. (2018). Application of a ridden horse ethogram to video recordings of 21 horses before and after diagnostic analgesia: Reduction in behaviour scores. Equine Veterinary Education. 32. 10.1111/eve.13029
Dyson, Sue & Thomson, K. & Quiney, Laura & Bondi, Anne & Ellis, Andrea. (2020b). Can veterinarians reliably apply a whole horse ridden ethogram to differentiate non-lame and lame horses based on live horse assessment of behaviour?. Equine Veterinary Education. 32. 112-120. 10.1111/eve.13104
Dyson S, Pollard D. Application of a Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram and Its Relationship with Gait in a Convenience Sample of 60 Riding Horses. Animals (Basel). 2020 Jun 17;10(6):1044. doi: 10.3390/ani10061044. PMID: 32560486; PMCID: PMC7341225
Dyson, S., Bondi, A., Routh, J., Pollard, D. (2020c) Gait abnormalities and ridden horse behaviour in a convenience sample of the United Kingdom ridden sports horse and leisure horse population. Equine Vet. Educ. doi: 10.1111/eve.13395
Dyson, S. (2019) Application of a ridden horse pain ethogram to horses competing at a 4-star three-day-event; comparison with cross country performance. Equine Vet. Educ. 32, Suppl. 10, 92-103
Dyson, S., Ellis, A. (2020) Application of a Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to horses competing at 5-star three-day-events: comparison with performance. Equine Vet. Educ. doi: 10.1111/eve.13415
Dyson, S., Martin, C., Bondi, A., Ellis, A. (2020d) The influence of rider skill on ridden horse behaviour, assessed using the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram, and gait quality. Equine Vet. Educ. 10.1111/eve.13434
Dyson, S., Bondi, A., Routh, J., Pollard, D., Preston, T., McConnell, C., Kydd, J. (2021) An investigation of behaviour during tacking-up and mounting in ridden sports and leisure horses. Equine Vet. Educ. doi: 10.1111/eve.13432
1Dyson, S., Pollard, D. (2021) Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to elite dressage horses competing in World Cup Grand Prix Competitions. Animals 11, 1187. doi.org/0.3390/ani11051187
Dyson, S., Pollard, D. (2021) Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to horses competing at the Hickstead-Rotterdam Grand Prix Challenge and the British Dressage Grand Prix National Championship 2020 and comparison with World Cup Grand Prix competitions. Animals 11, 1820 doi.org/10.3390/ani11061820
Horsesthataren’tquiteperformingastheyshouldbeisacommonissueandcanleaveyouquestioningyourtrainingand generalmanagementtofindtheanswers.Onefundamentalskillweshouldallhaveistheabilitytorecognisewhentheseissues arepainrelated.
It’seasytooverlookmild,multilimblamenessandmildpainrelatedissuesbutit’sessentialforthewelfareofthehorsetobe abletoidentifywhenthisistheproblem.
DrSueDysonhasdevelopedastraightforwardsystemforassessinghorsemovementandcomfortInthisonlineseminar,she willexplainhowtousethissystem,sharingtips,techniquesandgivingyoutheconfidencetorecognisepainrelatedpoor performance
Forthegoodofthehorsethisonlineseminarissomethingallcoaches,therapistsandprofessionalswithintheequineindustry needtosee.
Thisseminarisperfectforcoaches,instructors,therapists,otherveterinaryparaprofessionals,professionalridersandstudents.
of
Concordia
31,
What if your horse could tell you what’s wrong with him?
Well… maybe he can! Many horses appear sound in hand but have underlying pain related problems when ridden which frequently goes unrecognized or even attributed to bad behaviour.
In our course “How to Recognize the 24 Behaviours indicating Pain in the Ridden Horse”, world renowned veterinarian and researcher Dr Sue Dyson shows you how it is possible to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain in ridden horses by evaluating facial expressions or other aspects of behaviour.
Did you know that 24 distinct behaviours occur at least 10 times more frequently in horses that are lame?
The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram is a catalogue of 24 behaviours which scientific studies have demonstrated can be associated with pain in the ridden horse Most of these behaviours are at least ten times more likely to be seen in lame horses than in non lame horses
www.equitopiacenter.com
Throughvideos,quizzes,learningaids,downloadablematerialsandpracticalexercises,youwilllearnallthetoolsyouneedto identifyunderlyingpainrelatedproblems,eveniftheyarenotinitiallyobvious
Ifyouareanequineprofessional,youwillbeabletousethatknowledgewhenyouareassessingahorsethathaspresented becauseofpoorperformance,orwhenahorseisundergoingaprepurchaseexamination
Ifyouareahorseowner,itcanhelpyoudetectpainearlysothatitcanbeaddressedbeforeitbecomeschronicandthehorse startstoadaptitsmovementinotherwaysresultinginmoreproblems.
This course will also help you to clarify if tension or unwillingness are behaviour related or pain based behaviours.
Thecoursehasbeendevelopedthroughextensiveresearchovertwoyearsinvolvingsixstudiesand400horses,andwe believeitwillchangethewayweidentifyproblemswithourhorses.Attheendofthiscourse,youwillbeableto:
Recognizeanddescribefacialfeaturesthatoccurmorefrequentlyinlamehorsesthaninnonlamehorses
Recognizeanddescribethe24behaviourswhichtogethermayindicateunderlyingpainintheriddenhorse
Recognizebehavioursinahorsethatisfreeofpain
Developalogofyourhorse’sbehaviourstoidentifypotentiallameness
Identifythecourseofactiontofollowifthepainisdiscovered
Agroundbreakingresourceforequineprofessionalsandamateurs thiscoursechangesthewayweidentifyproblemswith ourhorses!
DoingtherightthingisaprinciplewecanusetoguideourinteractionswithequidsandmeasureourachievementsItmeans doingtherightthingforthehorse,donkeyormule,nomatterthechallengesIfwecanfocusondoingtherightthingforthe horse,inthesituationsthatwefindourselves,webecomebetterpeopleforourhorses,donkeysandmules
"Do, or do not. There is no try." Thanks, Yoda, for this piece of wisdom! I have often pondered this saying, and I think it applies to the principle of doing the right thing.
Oftenwemightwanttodotherightthing,butsomeone,something,asituation,oranenvironmentgetsintheway,andwe endupfallingshortoftherightthingweweresodesperatetodoInthiscase,therewasnotry,wedidsomethingwithour horse,anditeitherwastherightthing,oritwasn'tWhatwewere"trying"todowasunimportanttothehorseJustdoingthe rightthingcanbethemostchallengingprincipletolivebyinmostequineenvironments
Wecan'ttrytostopearlybeforeweoverreachouranimal'scomfortzones;weeitherstopearly,orwedon'tNow,Iknowthat wecanmakemistakesIknowthatwehavetoforgiveourselvesforlearningHowever,wealsohavetofacethefacts,didwe stopearlyenoughornot?
Tohelpusdotherightthing,wemustprepareourprinciplesaheadoftimeHowwillwereactwhenourequineistryingto learnorstrugglingtounderstandwhatwewant?Howwillwerespondwhentheygetconfusedordon'tdowhatwethinkthey should?Havewechosentherightthingbeforeourhorsesays,"no,Iamnotdoingthat"?Whatareournonnegotiables?What won'twedounderanycircumstance?Doyouknowwhattherightthingisforyouandourhorse?Therearecoreprinciplesof welfarethatwouldhelpguideeverybodytodotherightthing,buttherightthingwillalsobedifferentforeverybody.
Thechallengeistodotherightthingforeach animalwemeetWhilethe"rules"ofethology mightsay,horsesalwaysneedcompanions Havingthewrongfriendscanbeimmensely stressful Ratherthanbeingwiththewrong friends,somehorsesarehappierontheirown, sobeingontheirownistherightthingfor thatindividual
Acceptingthatthereisnotryandthatwe eitherdotherightthingsorwedon'tgivesus nohidingplaceItcanfeelbrutaltoacceptwe didn'tdotherightthing,butwedon'thaveto blameourselvesWedon'thavetofeelguilty Wedon'thavetoberateourlackofabilityor criticisewhereweareinourjourney.Wecan simplyacceptthatwefellshortandthenlearn howtoavoidthesamemistakeinthefuture andmoveon.Whenwehidebehind"trying", itiseasiertoforgiveourselvesfortheerror. Althoughitisalsoeasiertobelittlethecostof themistaketothehorse,afterall,wewerejust "trying"todotherightthingevenifwe didn't.Acceptingtherewasnotryallowsusto learnfasterandmorehonestywithoutbeing hostiletoourselves.
Ultimately we may feel so much of the horse world isn't doing the right thing for horses.
WithsomuchpressureintheequestrianworldfromsomanydifferentsourcesWitheverytrainer,practitionerorbehaviourist havingadifferentviewoftherightthing,itcanbechallengingtonavigateourwaythroughthemazeofconflictingadvice
Encouragingpeopletodotherightthingisn'taboutencouragingthemtodoyourrightthingItisn'taboutbeingevangelical It'snotabouthavingalltheanswersForme,doingtherightthingmeansencouragingpeopletofindtheirpathwiththeirown equineswithoutjudgementandstrivingcontinuouslytoimproveforthesakeoftheirhorses,donkeysandmules
ThefirststepistoplanaheadoftimeWemustdefineourprinciplesandwhattherightthingsareforourhorsesothatatany moment,youcanknowwhattherightthingis
Then we have to use our principles to measure the advice we're given or the information we read against what's the right thing for our horses and us.
Next,wemustembracelettinggoofthetry,whichconflictswiththecommonhorsemanshipthemeof"rewardingthetry" Yes,Iknowitmeansweshouldrewardourhorse'seffort,nomatterhowsmall,butintruth,we'renotreallyrewardingthetry Ifwewererewardingthetry,wewouldreinforceeverythingthehorseoffered,whetheritwasdesiredbehaviourorunwanted behaviour,becauseitwasallatryontheirpartInstead,werewardtherightthingevenifthatrightthingistiny;evenifitisso small,mostpeoplewouldn'trecogniseitaseventherightthingIt'stherightstepintherightdirectionIfit'samoment,asplit second,thatistherightthing Spottingthoserightthingsinourhorsesandrewardingthemensuresourcommunicationis moreeffectiveOurlearningismoreprecise,andwehavetheopportunitytolistentotheirfeedbackmoreobjectively
Thefourthstepistoensurewedon'thidebehindthetryandblamecircumstanceorsituationRegardlessofwhatwewere "trying"todo,itisbeneficialtoacceptthatweaskedtoomuch,didn'thaveaclearplan,didn'tpreparetheenvironment,or didn'tsticktoourprinciplesThisway,wecanlookourmistakessquareintheeyeandmosteffectivelylearnfromthemand moveon
Doingtherightthinginanysituationgivesusamoralcompasstoguideandmeasureouractions Sowhatareyourright things,andhowwouldyouknowifyouweren'tdoingthem?
Padma Video creates educational, marketing and documentary films specializing in the human animal bond We seek to illuminate the strong, beautiful and complicated relationship between humans and animals We humbly serve with an open mind; asking the question during all phases of video production how can we make the world better for them?
com
As a veterinarian specialising in the rehabilitation of horses, I found many factors to be important for making rehabilitation sustainable. Twenty years ago, I started to work with specific cases horses with behavioural problems and horses with back problems or gait abnormalities but no lameness and from them, I learned the hard way how to make myself as light as possible while riding I’ve had several masters who gave me instant feedback if I was behind the movement, not moving together with the body of the horse, not springy and soft enough or not light enough My masters would buck me off Soon I realised the importance of rider balance, posture and springy ankles, knees and hips.
Fortunately, one day I met Tessa Roos, a holistic trainer who specialises in horse and rider balance We shared our knowledge and after that day (about 8 years ago) we never stopped working and growing together
Especially for you, Tessa wrote the following article!
If we want the horse to lift his back under our weight as riders, we need to make ourselves an easy load to carry. Especiallywhenthehorseisstilllearningtostabiliseunderariderhemayneedrebalancingeveryfewstrides.Andduring thebalancedstrides,we’llhavetomakesureourweightmoveswiththehorse’sback,sowedon’taccidentallycausehimto drophisbackagainwiththewaywebalanceourselvesinthesaddle.
Beinganeasyloadtocarryalsomeansthatwhenthehorseloseshisbalance,westabiliseourselvesasbestaswecan,sowe don’taddtotheproblem.Whenahorseloseshisbalancehedropshisback,startspushinginsteadofcarryingwithhis hindlegsandthusputsmoreweightonhisshoulders.Thedroppedbackandpushinghindlegsinvitetheridertobecome hollowinherlowerback.
Justlikeahorse,ariderwithahollowbackisveryunstable.Youcanfeelthisforyourself:sitonachairwithahard,flatseat andhollowyourlowerbackjustalittlebit.Noticehowyourollforwardsonyourseatbones.Nowhavesomeonepushon yourlowerbackandfeelhoweasyitisforthemtorollyouevenfurtherforwardonyourseatbones.Nowrollbackover yourseatbonesuntilyourlowerbackfeelsflatbutstillupright.Thismayfeelslightlyroundedbutwilllookandfeelflat. Noticehoweasyitistoresistapushinyourlowerbackinthisposition.
Thepushinyourlowerbackmimicstheforceofpushing(asopposedtocarrying)hindlegsgeneratedbyahorsethatisout ofbalance.Ifyouallowthispushtohollowyourback,yourweightwilldropforwardonthehorse’sback,andmake rebalancingmuchharderforhim!
An unbalanced horse can unbalance the rider, but it works the other way around as well of course. Ifyourbackis hollow,yourhipstightenwhileyourweightdropsforwardwitheachstep.Thisinvitesthehorsetodrophisbackandpush morethancarrywithhishindlegs.Asexplainedabove,thiswilltheninturnprompttheridertostayhollow (see photo 3), andaviciouscircleisborn!
Toescapethecircle,amildhalfseatisveryfunctional,asthispositionallowstheridertobringherweightbackquicklyand easily.Sowhenthehorseloseshisbalance,itismucheasierfortheridertostabiliseherownbackandresistfollowingthe horse’sdroppingbackandpushinghindlegs (see photo 2). Evenonabalancedhorse,itiseasierformostriderstofindthat niceflat,stableplacefortheirbackwhentheirhipangleisslightlyclosedlikeitisinamildhalfseat (see photo 1).
Thisseatcombinedwithaforwarddownandoutpostureinthehorseisawelltriedandtestedmethod.Thecavalryalready knewthiswasapowerfulcombinationtobuildstrengthinhorsesandriders.Theytrainedtheiryounghorsesinthisway foruptotwoyears,beforeproceedingtomoreadvancedwork.Amildhalfseatisthereforealsoknownasaremount (younghorse)seat:perfectlyadequateforanyhorsethatstillhastolearntolifthisback!
Photo 1: HorseandriderstabilisingthemselvesandeachotherNoticehowthehorse'swithersarehigherthanthecroup andhoweasilyhebouncesoffthegroundHisribcage,andthereforetherider'sweight,ispushedupbyallfourlegsThisis alovelyfeelingforbothhorseandrider,usuallyresultinginhappysnortsandbigsmilesTheriderisinthemildhalfseat position alsoknown,amongotherthings,asthepoisedpositionorquarterlightseat tolightentheseatbonesonthe saddleandeasethepressureonthehorse'sback
Photo 2 above: Thehorselosingbalanceandtheriderstabilisingherselfbykeepingherbackflatandweight(centreof gravity)back.Canyouseehowthehorse'sribcagedropsforwardanddown?Thisphotowastakeninthesamephaseofthe trotastheothertwo,yetthehorseisfallingforwardratherthanbouncingupofftheground.
Photo 3 - above: thehorseandriderunbalancingeachotherNoticehowthehorse'swithersarelowerthanthecroup TheriderallowsthestrongpushofthehindlegstohollowherbackanddropherweightforwardThehorseisdropping thebackandpushingveryhardwiththehindlegsIfyoucomparewithphoto1,youcanseehowmuchharderitisforthis horsetobounceoffthegroundthanforthehorseinphoto1Thishorseisrunningforwardratherthanbouncingup
"I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves animals not just horses and wants to gain an understanding of them on a deeper, more intimate level. The authors offer us numerous, often profound insights, through their own varied experiences and backgrounds, regarding the integration of compassion into all areas of our lives With deeper reading, one begins to appreciate more fully, how the immutable relationship between human health, animal health, and that of our environment a world of One Health is the real basis for improving the life of our entire planet "
Ted Cohn, DVM President, American Veterinary Medical Association
"This is a book for those who seek a mutually satisfying relationship with their horses The Principles provide a road map we should read them carefully and often."
Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, Dipl. ACVSMR, MRCVS
Offer valid until the end of December 2022
We make time for a period of self-reflection and re-evaluation of various areas of horsemanship. Do our choices meet basic humane standards of respect for all life?
Self-reflection has become a popular subject in the wellness industry An instant Google search on the topic produces 527,000,000 results Wikipedia defines it as "the ability to witness and evaluate our own cognitive, emotional, and behavioural processes In psychology, other terms used for this self observation include 'reflective awareness ' , and 'reflective consciousness', which originate from the work of William James."*
Thereisnoshortageofsuggestionsandmethodsforpractisingandlearningaboutwhoweare,whatwevalue,andhowwecan usethatinformationtogrowasaperson
Asanequestrian,thiscanmeanthinkingaboutthewaywehaveridden,trained,andhandledhorsesandaskingifwearetruly beingauthenticandcompassionatewithourselvesHavewebeeninfluencedbythosearounduseventhoughwedon'tnecessarily agreewiththem?Werewetaughtmethodsthatmaynowbeoutdatedduetonewresearch?Arewewillingtochangeforthe benefitofourhorses?
WhenWilliearrivedinmylife,itwasduringabreakfromthehorsebusinessWhileawonderfulcareer,thepressuresoftraining asaprofessionalcanbeintenseTherecanbealotofturmoilbetweenegos,clients,theunpredictabilityofahorse'sshowcareer, andpersonalissuesthatchallengeeventhemoststoicpersonalities
I'dmovedalongwayfrommyhometownandwasnotplanningtopurchaseanotherhorseButIfoundmyselflivingonasmall acreagewithanemptybarnIcouldn'tresistthebeckoningstallsandthelovelyshadedyard,perfectlysetupforahorseortwo ThentheadforanoldHanoveriangeldingshowedupinthenewspaperChapterOneofthebookdescribesmyinitialrideonthe skinny,burnedoutformershowhorseandwhyIdecidedtopurchasehim.
Photo credit: Pixabay by Cheryl FarrensIhadtoaskmyselfmanyquestions,asIhadquitthe equineindustryHorsesweremylifeforalongtime Havingworkedhardtoreachthatlevel,itsurprised methatIdidn'twanttorideanylonger
"WithanoldshowhorselikeWillie,Ihadtoask myselfifridinghimwashelpfultohiswellbeingor if he needed permanent retirement Initially, we werejusthackingaroundinmybackyard,afterall, hiscompetitivedayswerebehindhimTherewasno pressure on me as a trainer or on him as a performancehorse Ihadtothinkabouthowand whatIwouldaskthishorsetodo.Aswithpeople, horses are designed to move, and some are far healthierwhengivenacarefullychosenprotocolof exercisetomaintainmuscleandbodycondition. Determiningexactlywhattodowithanoldhorse limitedbypastinjuryandpoorhandlingcanbeabit oftrialanderrortofindingthelimitsofhisdesires andabilitytowork.Certainly,youwanttodo everythingyoucantominimizethe'errors'partof thispicturethough,anditisalwaysbesttohaveyour veterinarianconfirmwhetherornotsomeformof exerciseisbestorifyourretireewouldbenefitmore frompastureturnout,withregularattentionand goodcare."
"Besides putting together the pieces of Willie's backgroundasbestIcould,Ialsodugintomypast totrytounderstandwhyIhaddecidedtopurchase thishorse.IhadleftthebusinesssofarasIwas concernedanddidn'thaveaburningdesiretoride recreationally.Yet,hereIwas,allofasuddenfinding myselfwiththekindofhorseIwouldhaveenjoyed immenselywhenwewerebothinourshowing heyday.What,exactly,wasthemeaningofthis?" Page102,TheCompassionateEquestrian
I'vemetmanyformerprofessionalswhoalsobecame overwhelmed and disillusioned with riding and trainingfulltime,somewhomovedontoother careers,andotherswhofoundwaystostaywith horses,butonalowerkeyandtheirterms.Thepast couple of decades produced a wide variety of opportunitiesthatdidn'texistinthe1990swhenI hadWillie.Iobservedtheriseofthoseoptionswhile manoeuvringthroughpersonalchangesofdirection
Ievaluatehorsesaccordingtoadifferentsetof parametersthanIdidpreviously,puttingfiftyyears ofexperienceupagainstthediversityofmethodsand updated equitation science that flows nonstop throughoutmysocialmediafeedsThereisalmostan informationoverload,whichtakesusrightbackto the initial purpose of Principle 5, that of self reflection
THE BENEFITS OF SELF Photo credit: Pixabay by Uschito of nch uch in han ant will an be orse nate the and rea her . ing eel? nse, ise r,it oth ose with sses and me est, sin re and ON first considered
Photo credit: FreeImages Gabriel77
Thoughtfulequestriansareincreasinglybecomingaware throughacombinationofscienceandcompassion ofthe importanceofequineshavingaccesstofreedom,forage,friendsandshelter.Asaresult,arangeofalternativemanagement systemsisspringingup.
Researchandorganisationsgiveusanincreasingamountofsoundideasforkeepingourequineshappywhichmanyareableto replicate,butenvironment,financesandtheneedsofindividualequinesmeanthatweoftenhavetocompromiseonperfectand findahappymedium.
Sohowdowedothebestforourhorses,ponies,donkeysandmules givenourcircumstances?
Overthecomingissues,wewillbeexploringthescienceandtheequinemanagementarrangementsthataccommodatethe philosophyoffreedom,forage,friendsandshelter,andsharingthestoriesofthosewhoaspiretothisideology.
Abriefexplanationistakenfromwww.paddockparadise.net
PaddockParadiseisaconceptbasedon “the lifestyles of the wild and free roaming horses living naturally in the US Great Basin” (theAmericanMustang)thatwasfirstconceivedasawaytoprovidedomestichorseswithanenvironmentthatmoreclosely resemblestheirnaturalhabitat
TheprincipalgoalofPPistofacilitatehealthandsoundness bothphysicalandmental inourhorsesInfact,itisanideal preventativetomanyoftheillnessesanddisordersplaguingdomesticequineswhoareforcedtoliveinstallsorotherformsof closeconfinementor,equallyhazardous,inlush,sugarladengrasspasturesInfact,agenuinePPcanvirtuallyeliminatetherisk oflaminitis,colic,NavicularSyndrome,CushingsSyndrome,andotherdebilitatingconditionscausedbyanunnaturallifestyle anddiet Aswell,itallowshorsestoeatastheydoinnature onthemove!
The concept
Createatrackaroundthepasture~thisiswherethehorsestravel
Placesomefeedingstations~wheretheycaneathay/hayandhay!
Varywithdifferentsubsurfaces~tomimicmorenaturalgroundsurfaces
Makelifeinterestingforyourhorse~challengeyourhorse
Between1982and1986 (and beyond, see below),Jaimeundertookstudiesofferalhorsesinteractingintheirnaturalenvironment notingthatwildhorsesrarelysufferedfromhoofproblemssuchaslaminitisornavicularwhichcommonlyaffectdomestic horses
Basedonhisworkandobservations,Jaimebegantrimmingdomestic horsesinawaythatreflectedthenaturalhoof,andassuchallowed themtoremainbarefoot.In1990,Jaimestoppedshoeinghorsesand startedpromotingwhathecalled “the wild horse trim” Theresearch andpracticecontinuedtoevolvethroughhisbooksTheNatural Horse:LessonsfromtheWild(1992)andTheHorseOwnersGuide toNaturalHoofCare(1999)developinginsightsintohowwecould bettermeetthebiologicalneedsofdomestichorses
InhisPaddockParadiseconcept,Jaimeintroducedtheideaof changingthemanagementofdomestichorsestomorecloselyreflect theconditionsinwhichferalhorseslive,andhedescribeshowthis influenceshoofgrowthandhoofcareAttheheartofthisapproachis theideaofgreatermovement,recognisingthedistancethatwild horsescoverinthewild Thisconceptissometimesalsocalleda “Track System” (amongst other things),referringtothecreationofan environmentconsistingofsurfaced “tracks” withvariationsofsurface linkinginscatteredfeedstations,watersource(s)andshelter
The Athena Herd Foundation discuss their system
Photo credit: Athena Herd Foundation
Manyhorseownersandliveryproviders have experimented with bringing Jaime Jackson’sPaddockParadiseandsimilartrack systemstotheUK,butthisisnotwithout challenge.TheUKclimateandlowland greenfieldsareverydifferenttoJaime’s moremountainous,ruggedandaridspaces.
At the Athena Herd Foundation, we recognisethebenefitsofthisapproach,and developedwhatwerefertoasa “hybrid barefoot track system” in 2014 where a sizeablemixedherdofhorseshasfreeaccess toawholerangeofnaturalandmanmade features including the central avenue of matureoaktreeswhichformthecentreofa figureeighttrack,thelargeairybarn,the “village green ” areas,establishedhedgerow, wildflowers and plants for foraging, includingopeningupthecentralpaddocks whenpossible.
nlyonfoothealthbutonthe ewholehorse Whilstliving s managed individually and isappropriateforthem This and nutritional supplements, ts,andhandsonbodywork
ndation and its Accredited mittotheethicaltreatmentof foundeduponDavidMellor’s withthefivedomainsbeinga sical environment; health; otionalstates Theimportant eFiveDomainsistheideathat createtheanimal'sindividual ellbeing,representingthe5th
iourdomainhasdevelopedto ural interactions” whichinclude nhumananimals(horses),and ofthedefinitionisverymuch Athenaherd,intermsoftheir positiveengagementwiththe r,boththeircarersandthose thatvisitforEquineFacilitatedInteractions.
Photo credit: Athena Herd Foundation Photo credit: Athena Herd FoundationWe believe that behaviour is communication and as such, we take time to observe the horses, to understand how they are. This approach is applied not just to equine equine behaviour, but also to equine human interaction. The intention is very much that humans are striving to listen to the Athena herd and respond accordingly, whether that be that the horses are looking to spend time with humans or move away from them. An interesting observation over the years has been the subtle shifts in the herd’s communication, it is as though they know they are being heard.
SEEKING
Webelievethatchoiceisanimportantcomponentofsubjectiveexperience,andanimportantinfluenceonanindividual's experienceofmentalhealthandwellbeing
PositivesubjectiveexperienceislinkedtoemotionsandbehavioursfoundedonwhatJaakPanksepp(1998)definedasthe “SEEKING system” LenconstantandSpitz(2022)summariseSEEKINGtobe “associated with contact and engagement with the environment; it fosters the individual’s curiosity and the appetite to explore and discover.” Ittiesintomotivationandisdrivenbythe brain’sdopaminebasedanticipation/rewardprocess.
WerecognisethatthetrackbasedlifefortheAthenaHerdFoundationhorsesnurturesandengagestheirSEEKINGsystem Theconstantavailabilityofwater,naturalforageandcompanionshipaswellastheavailabilityofspaceprovidesaframework forchoice,animalscanseekwhattheywantwhentheywantit.Theirchoicesaretheirownandnotdependentonphysical routinesandconstraintsimposedbyhumancarers;onadaybydaybasis,theyareallowedindividualagency.Theyseektheir ownpositiveexperiences,mentalhealthandwellbeing
TheAthenaherd’sSEEKINGactivityisnotjustaboutchoicesintermsoftheirbasicnaturalequineneedsbutisalsodisplayed intheirinteractionswiththehumansthataretakenintotheirspace.Whenhumansworkwiththeherd,thehorsesarefreeto choosewhetherornottheyinteract,orwithinboundariesofsafetyforall,howtheyinteract.Thisreflectsacommitmentto creatingaspacewheretheherd’sgeneralexperienceofhumaninteractionsispositive.Assuch,thehorsesoftenmovequietly andcuriouslytowardthehumansthataretakenintotheirspace
By Jennifer Geach & Graeme GreenReferencesforSEEKING:“JaakPanksepp(1998)”–thefullreferenceis“JaakPanksepp,AffectiveNeuroscience:TheFoundationsofHumanandAnimal Emotions,OxfordUniversityPress1998”“LenconstantandSpitz(2022)”–thefullreferenceis“CharlèneLenconstantandElizabethSpitz,IntegrativeModel ofHuman-AnimalInteractions:Aonehealth-onewelfareSystemApproachtoStudyingHAI,FrontiersinVeterinaryScience,July2022”
Photo credit: Athena Herd Foundation
A unique interactive environment built on the core ethos of the well-being of the horses and further providing a space which supports the powerful benefits of Equine Facilitated Interactions.
The iconic stripes of the zebras of Africa are so familiar to us, but what do we really know about them? How do they spend their days? What are the similarities and differences between them and our domestic equines? Questions like this have long intrigued me, so my passion for all things equine is about to go off on a stripy tangent.
Photocredit:BonnyMealand
Ontheshores of thevast LakeKaribainZimbabwelives a populationofPlainszebras(EquusQuagga)whoIhavebeenlucky enoughtospendtimeobservingoverthepastthreeyears.Elephants ontheroad,baboonsinthegardenandscorpionsinthesinkarea partofeverydaylifeinKariba,butmostexcitingformearemy wildzebraneighbours.Thesebeautifulcreatureslivetheireventful livesonthefloodplainssurroundingthefreshwaterlake.
TheiroriginalhabitatwasalteredwhenmenfloodedtheZambezi Valley to build a hydroelectric dam in the 1950s Groups of conservationists undertook “Operation Noah” to rescue and relocateasmanyofthewildanimalsastheycouldasthewater levelsrose Thelakeis240kmlongand20kmwide While crossing by boat one day, I saw two elephants swimming Compelledbyinstinctthatwasshapedbygenerationsbeforethem tofollowcertainmigratoryroutes,thesemassivelandmammalsare surprisingly accomplished swimmers Their huge bodies seem whalelikeinthewaterandtheirtrunks,likesnorkels,leadtheway gulpingairastheygo Floatingalongsidethemisanexperience thatwillstaywithmeforever
Thezebrasdon’tneedtomigratenowasthefertileshoresofthe lakeandtheaccesstowateryearroundmakeforasustainable habitatforthem Drinkingisnotwithoutitsdangersthough,as KaribahasahugepopulationofcrocodilesIt’sestimatedthatthere areoverfifteen,threemetrecrocsforevery1kmofshorelineIt’s quiteterrifyingtorealisethattherearesomanyofthemlyingin waitjustoutofsight Ivisitthewonderful*Rhinobushcampas oftenasIcanandoneofthethingsonofferisawalkalongariver bedwhereyoucanfindfossilsfromtheLateTriassicperiod,220 million years ago, embedded in the rocks These are the extraordinaryremainsofPhytosaurus,whowerenotdinosaurs,but semiaquatic reptiles who bore a remarkable resemblance to moderncrocodilesinappearanceandlifestyle,apartfrombeing muchbigger!
Youcanseetheawarenessofaccomplishedpredatorslyinginwait playedoutbythezebraswhentheyapproachthewatertodrink
Not many zebra foals reach maturity and it’s speculated that predationbycrocsisoneofthemainreasonsWheneverIobserved drinkingbehaviour,Isawalongdrawnoutprocessofvigilance andagradualapproachbeforeveryquicklydrinkingandthen leavingThemajorityofthetimesIwatchedthem,Isawthezebras blendwiththeherdsofwaterbucksastheywentdowntodrink, allowingthehandsomegreyantelopestotestthewatersfirst,then ifallseemedsafe thezebrasdranktheirfill
Intriguingly,overthepast25yearsorso,thispopulationofzebras have learned to live peacefully alongside the local human population. In our rapidly changing world which is often so detrimentaltowildplacesandanimals,findingexamplesofhowto leadsharedlivesinpeacefulcoexistencewithothersisaprecious thing.Iexpectedtobestudyingandlearningabouttheirlives, behaviourandhooves,butnow,seeinghowthesewildcreatures haveintegratedthemselvesintothelocalhumancommunity,this haswidenedoutintostudyinganexampleofhopeandinspiration forthefuture
Photocredit:KellyLandrey
Ifirstlivedherein1993/94atatimewhenthereweremanywildanimalsroamingaround,andthezebras,whenyou occasionallysawthem,wereskittishandkeptalargedistancebetweenthemselvesandpeopleAsthehumanpopulationhas grownandthesettlementshaveexpanded,manyofthewildanimalshavemovedfurtherawayOneexceptionisthezebras whoarethrivinghere
Thisphysicalclosenesstohumansmustbringadvantagestothezebras.Ihaven’tunpickedthefullstoryyet,butIthinkoneof thereasonscouldbethesanctuaryaffordedtothembythecloseproximitytohumans,aswearemorelikelytokeeplionsand otherpredatorsatbayandthusaffordthezebrasadegreeofsafetyAnotherthreadisthespiritualsignificancethatzebrashold formanyofthelocalpeopleThelocalShonatribecallthemM’biziandtheyarerespectedtotemanimalsIhaveheardofthis phenomenonfromaroundtheworldbeforeAnimalswhoarefearedorreveredoftensurviveastheyareavoidedorrespected andsoleftinpeaceLesssymbolicspeciesoftendiminishorarecompletelywipedout
Thisconfidencewiththeclosephysicalproximityofhumansworkstomyadvantagetoo.Asthesezebrasaresousedtopeople, Icangetreallyclosefordetailedobservationwithoutaffectingtheirbehaviourtoomuch.Forexample,seeingtheintricaciesof theirgrazingbehaviour,whichplantstheyselectivelychooseandwhichtheyavoid.Orbeingcloseenoughtoheartheirteeth grindingthefibrousplantsandtosmellthefragranceastheyarecrushedaddssuchnuance.Itofferswhatthebrilliant anthropologistTimIngolddescribesas“ParticipantObservation” therecognitionthatwearenotseparatefromwhoorwhat weseektolearnabout,andthatitisthesharedexperienceoftheworldthroughallofoursensesthatexpandsanddeepensour understanding,becauseitinvitestheintegratedwisdomofthewholebodyandmindknowing,ratherthanjustprovidingdry intellectualknowledge.
Tobedrawnintothedaytodayhappeningsofthewildlivesofthesezebrashastobeoneofthemostenrichingexperiences ofmylife,whichIhopetosharethroughthesearticles.Nexttime,I’llintroducesomeoftheindividualsandfamiliesandshare thestoriesoftheirlivesthatI’vebeenluckyenoughtowitness.
*Rhino Bushcamp www.rhinosafaricamp.com
Photocredit:BonnyMealandbout our fare and g free of to horse
We believe in a future where all horses are well cared for, and where their owners can ask for help when they need it.
Over the last months, a flurry of equine welfare related papers have been published, which are likely to be of interest to Concordia Equestrians This made narrowing down which ones to discuss in this issue somewhat challenging! The job of selecting which papers to write about was so difficult because all of them provide a lot of food for thought and have significant practical welfare implications for our equines And for me this means it is vital to get the findings out there beyond the readers of scientific journals and into the real
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welfare ArecentstudybySchmuckeretal(2022)suggeststhatitcanalsocompromiseimmunocompetenceleadingto increasedsusceptibilitytodiseaseThestudyinvestigatedtheimpactoftwocommonmanagementchanges relocationto individualstablingandchangestosocialgroupcompositionatpasture onvariousimmunologicalmeasures,plasmacortisol concentration,andbehaviour
Thesemanagementchangesarebothknowntobesocialstressors,albeitactingindifferentways;however,theirimpacton thisrangeofphysiologicalandbehaviouralmeasureshasnotpreviouslybeenexplored.Thestudysubjectswere15two and threeyearoldWarmbloodgeldingswholivedasagrouponpastureinthesixweekspriortothestudy.
All15horsesunderwentthechangeinagroupcompositiononpasture(theherdwasdividedintotwogroupsfor8daysand thenreunited),while12alsounderwentthechangetoindividualstabling.Physiologicalmeasurementsweretakensevenand sixdaysbeforethemanagementchangesaswellasimmediatelypriortothechange,andonedayandeightdaysfollowing thechange.
AnincreaseinplasmacortisolconcentrationwasobservedonDay1afterthetransitiontoindividualstabling,butitwasnot observedafterchanginggroupcomposition.Thechangeingroupcompositiondidnotresultinchangestotheamountof aggressivebehaviourobserved(sentorreceived),however,itdidsignificantlyincreasethenumberofaffiliativeinteractions observed(sentandreceived).Thismayreflectthefamiliarityofthegroupmembersasonlythegroupsizehadchangedin thisstudy,notgroupmembers.Itwouldbeinterestingtoreplicatethisstudybutchangegroupcompositionbyadding unfamiliarhorsesasisacommonoccurrenceonliveryyardsandseeifasimilarresultisfound.
Oneweekafterstabling,behavioursuggestiveofwelfarecompriseswasobserved apatheticbehaviour,andabnormal locomotorandoralbehaviour,includingthoserelatedtostereotypies(weaving,boxwalkingandcribbing) Stressrelated alterationsinimmunecellnumberswerepresentoneweekfollowingindividualstablingandmayhavepersistedlonger, suggestingthattheacutestressresponsemayleadtochronicimmunologicalcompromise.Similarchangesinimmunecell numberswerenotobservedfollowingthechangeingroupcomposition.Thefindingsindicatethatrelocationtoindividual stablingisanintensestressorforhorses,compromisingbothhealthandwelfare.Changesingroupcomposition,asevaluated inthisstudydidnothavethesameimpact.Thisresearchjoinsthegrowingbodyofevidencedemonstratingthenegative consequencesofindividualstablingforourhorses.Theauthorssuggestthatwhilesimilarstudiesofotherequine managementpracticesareneeded,theirfindingshighlighttheadvantagesofgrouphousingsystemsoverindividualstabling whenitcomestoimmunocompetenceandwelfare.
InJune2022,WorldHorseWelfareconvenedapaneldiscussionon ‘Sociallicenceandtheinvolvementofhorsesinsport’(nowavailable towatchonYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUddnvsiK8).Inthisdiscussion,theresultsofarecentYouGovsurveywere revealed.ThisindependentsurveyconductedinMay2022,askedthe UKpublicabouttheirviewsontheinvolvementofhorsesinsport. Thefindingshavegraveimplicationsforthefutureofequestrian sports,andlikelyalsoforthefutureuseofhorsesinrecreational activities;40%ofrespondentsonlysupportedtheuseofhorsesin sportsiftheirwelfarewasimproved,and20%didnotsupportthe continueduseofhorsesinsportunderanycircumstances.
Equestrianismisatgreatriskoflosingitssociallicencetooperate (SLO).Butwhatisasociallicence?Whilesocietycanstatewhatisor isnotallowedusinglawsandlegislation,SLOisanotherlayerofthis societalpermission.Itisthepublic'sacceptanceofanactivity,an implicittrustwiththosewhorunitthattheywilldotherightthing.
WithSLO,activitiescancontinuewithminimaloutsidegovernance, butwhenitislost,itcanleadtolegalrestrictionsorabanonthat activitycontinuingaltogether.Forexample,oncepopularsportssuch asbearbaitingandcockfightinghavenowlosttheirSLOinmostof theworld.SLOisacontinuum,andpublicfeelingmayrangeacross thefullspectrumfromenthusiasticsupporterstocriticalopponentsand anywhereinbetween.
Inthisreviewpaper,Douglasetal(2022)discussthecurrentthreatsto equestrianism’sSLOandwhatcanbelearnedfromotheranimal-based activitieswhichhaveexperiencedsimilarchallenges–withvarying outcomes.Thechangingattitudestowardsgreyhoundracingprovide arecentcomparison,aspublicawarenessgrowsofthewelfare challengesassociatedwiththisindustry.Greyhoundracinghasbeen bannedinmostUSstatesandonlyreinstatedwithincreasedregulation followingabaninsomepartsofAustralia.
TheauthorsarguethattomaintaintheirSLO,equestriansneedto worktogetherproactivelytorebuildpublictrustwhichhasbeen knockedbyrecentnegativecoverage,suchasthatfollowingthe modernpentathlonattheTokyoOlympics.Thiswillinvolveacting transparently to restore confidence, prioritising equine welfare, educationofstakeholderswithinandoutsideofequestrianismand consideringtheethicalaspectsofequestrianactivities.Theystatethat reactive‘welfarewashing’,forexample,inresponsetonegativemedia portrayalisnotgoingtocutitanymore.
WhereveryousitontheSLOcontinuum,thispaperisaninteresting andchallengingreadandcertainlyhadmeconsideringmypersonal acceptanceofequestrianism.Istronglyrecommendyoureadit, whetherornotyouagreewiththeauthor'sdrivetorestoreand maintainequestrianism’sSLO.
ThepackedprogrammegotunderwayonTuesday9thAugustwithadayofworkshopsInthemorning,ProfessorNatalie WaranandDrsCamieHeleskiandKathalijneVisserRiedstra,allofthemmembersofthenewlyformedFEIEquineEthics andWellbeingCommission,ledawellattendedworkshoptofeedintothishighlywelcomedFEIinitiative.Workingin groups,participantswereaskedtoidentifychallengesforhorseswithinequinesports,evaluatetheexistenceofresearch supportingthisandsuggestpotentialsolutions.Eachparticipantwasthenaskedtoreadovertheoutputofthesediscussions fromeachoftheworkshopgroupsandselectwhattheyfeltwerepriorityareas.Asyoucanimagine,therewasalottodiscuss, andthemixofparticipantsfromdifferentequestrianbackgrounds academics,coaches,horseowners,andriders facilitated thesediscussions.
Threefurtherworkshopswereheldintheafternoon:‘InsideTheHorse’sMind:AHeadfirstApproachtoEquine ManagementandTraining’withLindaGreeningandDrAndrewHemmings;apracticalsessionwithDrMarcPierardonthe ‘ApplicationofLearningTheoryintheRiddenHorse’;andEdBracherandAnnaCollinsspokeabouttheHEIR therecently launchedHumanEquineInteractionRegisterthataimstobringtogetherthoseworkinginhumanequineinteractions(eg equineassistedtherapy)intheUKundertheumbrellaoftheHETIfoundation seehttps://hetifederationorg/formore informationonHEIRandHETIThedayendedwithafishandchipssocialeventonthegroundsofHartpuryHouse
Theconferenceofficiallybeganat9amthefollowingmorning,withawelcomeaddressbyHartpuryVCRosieScottWard andDrJaneWilliams,ISESHonoraryPresidentDayOnebroughtamixtureoflectures,keynotepresentations,shortresearch talks,supershortpostertalksandapaneldiscussionkeepingtheaudienceontheirtoesandthediscussionflowing
The9th12thofAugust2022sawthereturnoftheInternationalSocietyofEquitationScience(ISES)conference.Aftertwo yearsonlineduetothepandemic,thehybrideventheldatHartpuryUniversitywasthefirsttimemanyoftheattendeeshad seeneachotherinreallifeforyearsandtheatmospherewasbuzzing.Thethemeoftheconferencewas‘SucceedwithScience: Performance,PracticeandPositivePartnerships’,withtheorganiserskeentostressthatperformancewasnotlimitedto competitionandsportbutrelatedtoanytaskthathorsesandhumanscompletetogether,riddenornot.
ThelongertalksincludedDrDavidMarlincoveringthechallengesofdefiningandmeasuringperformanceinequestriansport whilethismaybeeasyforsportslikeshowjumping,wherethenumberoffencesdowncanbeobjectivelymeasured,sports likedressageareevaluatedandjudgedmoresubjectivelyDrMarlinsuggestedthatperhapsweneedtolinkbetterwelfareto betterperformanceasameanstoencourageapositivechangetowardsenhancingequinewelfareinequestriansportCurrently, wedonothaveenoughscientificevidencethatthisisthecase,andarguablyoptimisingequinewelfareshouldbecentralto thesesports,withouttheaddedincentivethatitwillleadtoimprovedperformance
ProfessorTimParkin,HeadofBristolVetSchool,discussedperformancefromanotherperspective
ProfessorParkinisan epidemiologistandworkswithlargedatasetsfromtheFEIaswellasseveralhorseracingjurisdictionstolookatriskfactorsfor injuriesandfatalitiesofbothhorsesandhumanstobetterunderstandhowtheseriskscanbereduced
TheotherinvitedspeakerwasDrWenhaoZhangfromBristolRoboticsLaboratoryattheUniversityofWestEngland(UWE). DrZhangspoketousabouttheuseofmachinevisioninagriculture,agrowingfieldinbothanimalandplantagriculture.In animals,thesecomplexprogrammeshavebeenusedtorecogniselamenessindairycowsandtheemotionalstatesofpigs. Althoughcurrentlynotwidelyusedinhorses eventhoughthereareprojectslookingintoitsapplicationforpainrecognition thereisgreatpotentialhere,andDrZhang’stalkcertainlyprovokedsomegoodquestionsandaudiencediscussionabouthow thistechnologycouldbeusedintheequestrianspheremovingforward.
Theshorterresearchtalkscoveredawiderangeoftopics,fromconflictbehaviourinIcelandichorsesduringcompetition,the behaviouralandphysiologicalimpactonhorsesoftheirrideranticipating,totrottingandwhetherwhipuseincreasesspeedin harnessracing
Thelightningpostertalksincludedshortsummariesofstudiesresearchingequinerestingbehaviour,biosecurityonliveryyards andequineasymmetriesInthissection,DrUtaKönigvonBorstel,reportedastudyonwhetherincreasedrepetitionsofatask enhancedequinelearning Shefoundoutthatrepeatingatasksixtimesinatrainingsessiondidnotimproveperformance comparedtocompletingitonlythreetimesinasessionWhilemorerepetitionsincreasedperformanceatthebeginningwhile thehorsewaslearning,performancedidnotimproveinthelongterm,potentiallyduetofrustrationand/orboredomoncethe horseswerefamiliarwiththetask
DayTwoincludedamixtureofresearchpresentations,practicaldemonstrationsandworkshopswheretheaudiencecouldpick andchoosewhichsessiontoattendTheworkshopsincludedpracticalsessionsonassessingriderfitnesswithDrJenniDouglas, demonstrationsbyDrGillianTaboronhowsheassesseshorsesforpoorperformancerelatedtopain,andanintroductionto equinetherapyofferedatHartpurybyDrKathrynNankervis Therewerealso‘MeettheISESExpert’slotsthatallowed delegatestositanddiscusshorsesandresearchwithsomeofthebignamesinequitationscience TheBritishequestrian ChristopherBartletalkedtheaudiencethroughhisphilosophyfortraininghorseandriderpartnershipsinthearenawherewe couldwatchthisputintopractice
DrPearsonalsodetailedhowobservationsofthehorsesadmittedtotheDickVetEquineHospitalattheUniversityof Edinburghhavehelpedthemrefinetheirpracticetominimisestressbymakingsmallchangestotheirproceduresand environmentForexample,byreplacingthesolidwallsatthefrontsofthestableswithverticalbarsthehorseswereabletostill seeotherhorseswhentheyliedown
ThereweretwofurtherlongertalksonDayTwobyDrRussellMcKechnieGuireandDrTamzinFurtado,whodiscussed ‘EquineLateralityorFunctionalAsymmetry:IsthereaDifference?’and‘DoingThingsDifferently:ExploringtheExperience ofLiveryYardManagersOffering“Alternative”LiveryOptionssuchasTrackSystemsandEquicentral’respectively
ThesewerefollowedbythreeshortformatresearchpresentationsontheuseofpostracingThoroughbredsinEquineAssisted ServicesbyClaireNeveux,aninvestigationintotheimpactofbeddingpracticesonequinesleepquality,andcognitivebiasby AmberMatthews
DrGemmaPearsonpresentedresearchonhowstabledesigninfluencesthevigilancebehaviourdisplayedbyhorsesduring shortboutsofisolation Shehighlightedhowimportanttheabilitytotouchanotherhorsewas,evenifthehorsehasthe opportunitytofreelyinteractwithotherhorseswhennotstabled,somethingthatisoftenoverlookedinmanagementsystems
DayTwowasroundedoffbytheconferencedinneranddiscowithprizesgiventothelastpeopleleftstandingattheendof thenight.
Forthefinaldayoftheconference,wewerebackinthelecturetheatreforajampackeddayofpresentations.ProfessorNatalie Waranstartedthedaywithherplenaryon‘PositivePartnerships HorsesandHumans,DifferentPerspectives,SharedGoals?’ whichquestionedwhetherwecanreallyusetheword‘partnership’whenitcomestoourhorses.Wouldhorsesinteractwithus inthewaystheydoiftheyweretrulygiventhefreedomtochoose?Developingabetterunderstandingofindicatorsofpositive emotionsinourhorseswouldhelptoanswerthisquestion.ProfessorWaranwasfollowedbyDrGemmaPearsondiscussing problemloadingbehaviourintheUKhorsepopulationandAmeliaCamerondiscussiontheemotiveandchallengingissueof equineendoflifeplanningandmakingdecisionsabouteuthanasia.Delayedeuthanasiahasbeenidentifiedasoneofthe greatestchallengestothewelfareofequinesintheUKanditisgreattoseeresearchstartingtoaddressthisarea.
Theshortresearchpresentationsandlightningpostertalksthatmadeupthemajorityofthedaycoveredanenormousbreadthof equineresearch.Thesetopicswerepresentedinlivesessionsinthemainlecturetheatre,inadditiontoprerecordedtalksand livepostertalksinparallelsessions.Therewerefartoomanypresentationstotalkaboutindetailinthismagazine,butherearea fewexamplestogiveyouanideaoftherangeofresearchweheardabout:
StephanieEvanspresentedherresearchonthe‘DevelopmentandValidationoftheHumanEquineAttachmentScale’;Karly Liffentalkedabout‘IndustryPerceptionsandUnderstandingonAustralianFeedlotWorkingHorses’;andMariTurunen discussedherprojectexploringhow‘AShortInterventionontheCorrectUseofNegativeReinforcementCanIncreaseHandler KnowledgeandUnderstandinginCollegeStudents’ PostertalksincludedJessicaBurridgediscussingherworkonthe treatmentofcommonhealthproblemsinworkingequidpopulationsinColombia,SofiaForinodiscussingequestrianjudgeand coachperceptionsoftheidealbodyshapeoffemaleriders,andLoniLoftuspresentinghermixedmethodsstudyonequine personality
Theremainderofthedayconsistedofapaneldiscussionon‘ScienceCommunications:ChangingHeartsandMinds’where panellistsandtheaudienceconsideredhowwecanbestdisseminatescientificresearchtoachievepracticalchangeforthehorse Whilethisisnosmalltask,therewassomegreatadvicefromthepanellistsandaudience,andagaintheuniquemixtureofISES delegatesallowedustobenefitfromtheexperienceofjournalistsandthosewithlargesocialmediafollowings
Theday,andtheconference,werebroughttoaclosebyafinalkeynotepresentationbyDrJaneWilliamson‘EthicalEquitation PromotingPerformanceandPositivePartnershipsThroughEvidenceinformedPractice’whichbroughttogetherthethemes andmanyofthekeyissuesraisedthroughouttheconference
Theproceedingsarenotavailableonlinejustyet,buttheproceedingsofthepreviousconferencesareallfreelyavailableatthis linkandhopefully,thoseforthe18thconferencewilljointhemtheresoonConferences(equitationscience.com)Giventhe breadthofresearchandtopicscoveredtheyaredefinitelyworthareadandtherewillbesomethingofinterestforeveryone.
Author of Rowan the Exmoor Pony and founder of the Exmoor Pony Project
For me, building a bond of trust with an Exmoor pony, started in the early 2000’s when I became the owner of a strapping young Exmoor pony, now known as ‘Uncle Harry’, as he is so good with weaned foals His arrival was closely followed by taking on some moor bred colt foals, one of whom, stallion Bear, grew up to become Supreme Champion of the Exmoor breed and twice International Horse Agility World Champion. He runs with the herd and his son Yogi Bear stands here at stud today.
In 2013, my husband Nick and I established a project to help promote moorland foals, now called the Exmoor Pony Project. Our work encourages better understanding, handling and treatment of Exmoor ponies and campaigns for welfare and management improvements. We are also co founders of the Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group (MEPBG), comprising Exmoor herd owners working together to safeguard endangered Exmoor ponies. This includes being part of the Exmoor Pony Genome Project (genotyping and sequencing the whole genome of the Exmoor pony) and working with the Equus Survival Trust in the US to facilitate DNA profiling and authenticated lineage tracking to help safeguard some of the important populations of purebred Exmoor ponies excluded from the closed Exmoor pony stud book
IgreatlyappreciateAlastair’sresponsetotheformat.AsIstartedwriting thestory,ittookonarhythmofitsownwhichevolvedintoaballad.At first,IthoughtIwaswritingachildren’sstory,yettheresponsefromadult friendsandfamilymademerealisethatwhatRowanhastosayappealsto everyone from‘littlies’withearlylearningandbedtimereading,allthe waythroughto‘oldies’.
The sentiment threading through Rowan’s story reflects the importance of listening to and connecting with animals appreciating that they have thoughts and feelings, too. When we treat animals with respect, understanding, empathy and compassion, we become better people ourselves and the world becomes a better place for the animals in our care.
I’vedeliberatelynotfocusedonparticularhumancharactersinthebook. ThisisastorytoldfromRowanthepony’spointofviewandit’sfor anyone fromanyageanddemographic tofeeltheycanslipintotherole ofoneofRowan’speople,andimmersethemselvesintheexperienceof buildingabondoftrustwithanExmoorpony.
ROWAN THE EXMOOR PONY The Ponies of Exmoor by Dawn Westcott
SomebackgroundontheExmoorponybreed Eachautumn,thesemiferal,freelivingherdsofExmoor poniesaregatheredfromtheirvariousmoorlandareasto theirrespectivefarmsormoorlandpens.Thefoalsare weanedandinspectedbythebreedsocietyandaDNA hairsampleistakentoprovetheirparentage.Oncethisis verified,theyareissuedwithpedigreepassports,which mostpurchasersrequirebeforecompletingasale.Some filliesandmostofthecoltfoalsneedtofindnewhomesor grazingprojectswhentheycomeoffthemoor.
Unfortunately,thisisn’talwaysstraightforwardasthe currentregistrationsystemcanresultinlongdelayswith DNAparentageverificationandissuingpassports.With foalssolddirectlyfromthefarms,itcanalsobedifficult forherdownerstoconnectwithpotentialbuyers,atthe right time. There is a relatively narrow window of opportunityforfoalstofindnewhomesintheautumn,as mostuplandfarmsarenotsetuptokeepmoorlandponies forthewinter.Ifpedigreepassportsaren’tissuedsoon afterinspectionandbuyersdon’tconnectwiththeherd ownersintheautumn,someperfectlygoodfoalshave foundthemselvesfacingableakfuture.Thisisharrowing, giventhetinynumberofExmoorponyfoalsborneach year(under50fillyfoalswerepedigreeregisteredin2021) andtheirexcellentquality.
Exmoorponiesareanendangeredbreedwhichsitsonthe RareBreedsSurvivalTrust’s‘Critical’list.It’stherefore vitalthatgeneticdiversityismaintainedwithinthesmall genepool,throughresponsiblebreeding,andthatthese registrationissuesareresolved,sofoalscanbepurchased in the autumn with pedigree passports It is always delightfultoseethemoorlandfoalsandolderponies finding good homes and grazing opportunities, and followingtheirprogress
It is hoped that mapping the whole genome of the Exmoorpony(onlythethirdequinebreedtodosoafter theThoroughbredandPrzewalski)andanalysisofthe resultinggeneticdata(nowavailable),willpavetheway toimprovetherecognition,welfareandstatusforthe poniesForexample,cattlebreedsocietiesareincreasingly utilising SNPs A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (abbreviatedtoSNPandpronounced‘snip’)isagenomic variantatasinglebasepositionintheDNA Thatis, somethingthatisfoundwithintheDNAofasireordam andtheirprogeny,thatcanconfirmtheirlineage,beyond doubt Equine breed societies are also looking at harnessing these genetic advancements and, with a significant population of purebred Exmoor ponies currentlyexcludedfromtheclosedExmoorPonyStud Book, it is particularly important to recognise and embracethewholepopulation,forgeneticdiversityand healthofthebreed,goingforwards
The Ponies of Exmoor by Dawn WestcottThere are also welfare implications With their robust and resilient characteristics, Exmoor ponies are increasingly used in rewilding projects, in the UK and overseas Sometimes their lineage is not properly tracked and these ponies are in danger of losing their recognition and status as ‘Exmoor ponies’ which can compromise their value, and ultimately their welfare, as a British native breed Unrecognised Exmoor ponies are ‘lost’ from the pedigree gene pool, despite retaining the learned and genetic characteristics and behaviours of extensively grazing, free living animals In other words, exactly what we want to retain in the breed
Using scientific genetic advancements to evolve a straightforward, definitive method of analysing their DNA and proving parentage, will enable faster registration of pedigree ponies and facilitate proper inclusion of excluded purebred animals in the ‘Exmoor breed’ This is something we very much hope DEFRA*, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, and the equine breed societies, will progress
Here on Exmoor, our Exmoor Pony Project helps to promote the qualities and characters of Exmoor ponies across the world, through social media and website content, films for Patrons, and my books Sometimes, we hold workshops and visits to the farm for people to meet the ponies first hand, and we ’ re always keen to connect people with other herd owners The herd here produces what eventually becomes a well matured ‘Exmoor Pony Poo’ Compost, so they’re also doing their bit for the environment and climate change, with soil enrichment for gardeners and growers
This autumn, there will be several herds with moor bred Exmoor pony foals available and you can read more about the herd owners we work with at the Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group website at www.mepbg.co.uk. Please feel welcome to contact the herd owners directly if you are interested in purchasing an Exmoor pony.
*OBE stands for Officer of Order of the British Empire. It’s an award given to someone who has made a notable impact in their line of work. *DEFRA stands for the United Kingdom Government’s Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Photos in this article are the copyright of the author
Whatever you do with your horse, it’s important to have a good understanding of how he works so you can ride, train and care for him better This is something that Gillian Higgins, founder of Horses Inside Out, strongly believes in and why she is so passionate about sharing her knowledge for the good of the horse
Gillian is well known for using anatomical paintings on live horses to teach others all about equine anatomy and biomechanics As a new contributor, we find out more about the person behind the brand and how Horses Inside Out can help all horse lovers understand how the horse works to improve performance
Gillianhasalwayshadapassionforhorses, she has competed to advancedlevel eventingandisaBHSSeniorcoach The vastknowledgethatGillianhas,notjustin equine biomechanics and anatomy, but also from a coaching, riding and competing perspective, offers something quiteunique Plus,Gillianhasboundless enthusiasmandhastheabilitytomake often difficulttounderstand topics and phraseseasytounderstandforanyonewith aninterestinhorses.It’sthispassionthat hasmadeHorsesInsideOutthesuccessit isandwhyitcontinuestogrow.
Gillianwaskeentomakeeventinghercareer,but thatallchangedduringherworkexperienceafter takingherGCSEswiththeneventriderCaroline Moore. Watchinga‘backperson’treatinghorses madeGillianchangehercareerplansandtrainto become an equine therapist. “Before I went to university,Istudiedhumansportsremedialtherapy and from there I went on to train with Mary Bromley,”explainsGillian.“Maryusedtorunequine massagetrainingcoursesandshewasanincredible lady,andIwassoluckytohavetrainedwithher.”
Unlike today, there wasn’t a degree available in equinephysiotherapybackthen,butafterherA Levels,Gillianwenttostudyinternationalequineand agricultural business management at The Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester where she attainedafirstclasshonoursdegreeAfteruniversity, she studied the McTimoney Corley spinal manipulationcourse,andshehascontinuedtoattend numerousotherequinetherapycourses
Whileshewasworkingasacoachandequinetherapist,Gillianenvisionedthathorseownerswouldbenefitfromabetter understandingofhowhorseswork.
“IputtogetheraseriesoffiveworkshopsattheliveryyardwhereIkeptmyhorse,Freddie,”explainsGillian“Theywerejust formyclientsandtheaimwastoshowthemwherethemainbodystructuresare,teachsomestretches,andhelpthem understandhowhorsesmove"
“MymumwasaprimaryschoolteacheratthetimeandhadsomekidsafepaintthatIusedtoindicateonthehorsetheposition ofkeystructures.Bythefinalpartofthecourse,Ipaintedonthemusclesandskeletononthehorseinadvance thiswas essentiallywhentheideaofHorsesInsideOutstarted.”
Gillianremembersherfirstlivehorsepaintingwasallalittlebasic butaswordspreadandshewasaskedtodomoreandmore demonstrations,thenownamedHorsesInsideOutbrandbegantogrow
GillianhastakenHorsesInsideOutaroundtheworld lecturingregularlyaswellascontinuingwithregularlecture demonstrationsintheUK.Anannualconferencewasaddedtothemix thisprovedtobehugelypopularandgrewyearafter yearwithmanyspeakerslecturingonkeytopicsandrevealingresearchallforthebetterofthehorse.Thispopularconferenceis returningin2023withaninspirationalgroupofguestspeakers andforthefirsttimetheconferencewillbelivestreamed,so thatanyonefromaroundtheworldcanjoin.
Ittakesplaceon18thand19thFebruary2023(https://wwwhorsesinsideoutcom/annualconference2023)
After16years,thecoreofthebusinessisstillthesameandthat’stomakelearningabouthorsebiomechanicsandanatomyfun, interestingandeducationalPaintinghorsesiswhatmakesHorsesInsideOutunique
However,asweallknow2020didn’tgoasplanned theusualfullcalendarofcoursesandeventswasflippedonitsheadwhen wewentintolockdownduetoCovid19
Likemanyotherbusinessowners,inordertosurvive,GillianhadtomakebigchangesHerthoughtsandplansquicklyturned todevelopingonlinecoursesanddemonstrationsItwassomethingthatGillianhadbeenkeentodoforsometime,butwithan alreadybusyscheduletherewasneverenoughtimetorealisethisidea,butnowshehadsomesparetimeonherhands
“Developingtheonlinesideismassiveforme,”saysGillian“Inthepast,ifpeople wereinterestedinseeingoneofmydemonstrations,theyhadtowaitformetobe doingonelocally,orbepreparedtotravel,butnowtheycanaccessawhole libraryofgreatcontentfromthecomfortofhome”
During this time Gillian also launched the Horses Inside Out Academy wwwhorsesinsideoutcom/academy Thisonlinelearninghubisfreetojoinand givesyouaccesstohoursoflecturesthatyoucanpurchaseandwatchasandwhen youlikeThispartofHorsesInsideOutisconstantlygrowingasmoreandmore contentisadded
Gillianhasalsowritten10books theseareaninvaluableresourceforriders,trainersand therapists.Asyouwouldexpect,eachbookisillustratedwithanatomicallypaintedhorsestomake understandingthecomplexstructuresofthehorsesomucheasier.Shealsoprovidespracticaltips andexercisesyoucandowithyourownhorsetohelpimprovehiswellbeingandmakeyoua betterriderandtrainer.
OneofhermostrecentbooksisAnatomyinActionwwwhorsesinsideoutcom/aia,publishedin 2020andwasfiveyearsinthemakingInspiredbyGillian’sloveofthebeauty,andagilityofthe horseaswellasanatomyandart Theaimwastocreateastunningphotographicrecordand qualityeducationalcatalogueofequinemovement.
Aswellasbeinganeducationaltoolthismusthavebookcelebratesthebeauty,eleganceandathleticismofhorses. AnatomyinActionisavailableasabeautiful,hardbackbookwithuniquefoldoutpagesthattakeyouonananatomical journeythroughaseriesofimagesforeachofthepaces,andmovementssuchaslegyieldandjumping.Eachoneis accompaniedbyashortbiomechanicalexplanationofthemovement.
Whattakesthisbooktoawholenewlevel istheadditionofcorrespondingvideosfor each movement This clever addition enhances your learning and brings the booktolife Thevideosfeaturemultiple horsesandfromvariousvantagepoints, andtheuseofslowmotionvideoallows youtohoneyourobservationskills
Overthenextfewissues,Gillianwillcover varioustopicsincludingthebiomechanics ofmovement,equinemassageandPilates forhorses
Photos in this article are the copyright of the author.
Seedytoe,alsoknownaswhitelinedisease,isaprettycommonprobleminourhorse’sfeet.Itusedtobeknownasthe“hollow hoof”waybackintheoldendaysbecausewhenthehoofwallwastapped,itsoundedhollow.Andthatisexactlyhowitcanend up,withairfilledgapsinthemiddleofthehoofwallwhereitishiddenfromview.
Itusuallystartswithabreakinthehoofwall(thehoof’sarmour)orinthewhiteline.Itcanbeatinycrackoratinyholewhich allowsthebacteriaandfungi thatlivequitehappilyinthehorse’sfield toinvadethewall.Theyarewhatisknownas “opportunistic”,meaningtheyarenotgoingtocauseyourhorseaproblemunlessthereisalreadyagapinthehoofwallor whiteline.Thentheyinvade.
Theyaresocalled“anaerobicmicroorganisms”becausetheyliketoliveinplaceswithlowoxygen sothemiddlepartofthe hoofwallisaperfecthabitatforthemTheyalsofeedonkeratin,whichisanimportantstructureinthehoofwallIt’saperfect storm,abreakintheprotectivearmour(thehoofwall),theinvasionofbacteriaandfungi,andtheslowbutconstantfeedingof themicrobesoftheinnerhoofwallTheyarehiddenfromviewandlocatedinanenvironmenttheyloveandtheymultiply rapidlyThereisusuallylittleouterdamagetosee,andoncetheeffectsarenoticed,themicrobeshaveprobablyalreadymade quiteabitofdamagetotheinnerhoofwall
Itusuallyappearsasacrack,originatingfromthesolearea.It maybejustasmallcrackbutitisonethatjustdoesnotgo away.Uponcarefulinvestigationfromunderneath,itmaylook likeaholeoncethehoofwallisraspedanduponfurther investigation with a probe, there may be crumbly white powderthatcanbepickedoutofthecrack(fromtheunderside ofthefoot).Yourfarriermayfindthathisprobegoesupthe hoofwallquiteawayandIhaveseenprobesgoinguparound 5cm!Thedamageisnotjustmovingupwardstowardsthe coronet but it can carry on sideways. It’s very hard to determinejusthowfarithasgone,butanxraywouldshow thegapinthehoofwallandwouldconfirmthediagnosis.
Ihaveseenmanyhorseswithseedytoebeingquitesore,yetit isonlypresentinthemiddlepartofthehoofwallwherethere arenonervessoitseemsratheroddtocausepainandlameness.
Ihavealsoseenhorsespullbacksharplywhenthecrackis beinginvestigatedwiththeprobeandthissuggestspainor discomfort.Sowhyisthis?
InmyhoofdissectionsIoftenseethedevastatingeffectsof seedytoeanditseemstobeaccompaniedbyachangeinthe anatomyinside.Thereappearstobeayellowcolouredtissue thataccompaniestheseedytoe.Iamofthemindthatitcould besimilartolaminarwedgematerial,butIneedtoinvestigate further.Ialsothinkthatthegapinthehoofwalliscreating somemechanicalissueintheworkingofthefootandthatmay leadtopain.I’vealsoseencoffinbonechangeswheretheseedy toeispresent.
Photo 1: Solar view of the hoof with a small hole and a crack. The foot had a tiny hole and a small crack in the hoof wall visible in the solar view. The arrow shows the area in question. It was very difficult to see but when I sectioned the foot in that area by slicing back to front, it revealed a lot of the inner hoof wall had disappeared.
Therewasblackandwhitecrumblymaterialthatfilledup thegap.Inthephoto,Ihavecleanedoutthecrumbly materialtorevealtheholeinthehoofwall.Rememberthis isjustasliceandthattheholealsowentsidetosideabout 3cmwide!
Unless seedy toe is treated it does not go away. It continuestoeatawayattheinnerhoofwallandinsevere cases,itcandisruptthelaminarbond thelaminarbondis the‘supermanvelcro’connectingtheinnerhoofwalland coffinbone.Ifthatbondisdamaged,thecoffinbone becomesdisplacedinthecapsule.
Sothetakehomemessageistoneverignoreacrackthat starts at the sole level. Cracks are telling you that somethingisgoingon.
Atthestartofmyhoofstudies,around4yearsago,Iwent outwithafarrierinNewZealand,andwevisitedayoung Arabgeldingwhowassoreinhisleftforefoot.Thefarrier lookedatthefootandIsawasimilarlookingholeasin photo1andthought“Ibetthat’sseedytoe”.Iwasfartoo nervoustovoicemythoughtsandIwatchedasthefarrier tookhisknifeandstartedtocleanupthefootreadyfor shoeing.Ashecleanedthearea,aholeappeared,andashe investigated,theholewenthigherandhigher.Thefarrier consultedavetbyphoneanditwasagreedheshould resectthewalltogettotheheadoftheinfection.Asa result,aconsiderableamountofhoofwallwasremoved, theareawastreatedandashoewasplaced.Itwaspretty uglybuteffective,asthemicrobescan’tcontinuetheir devastationinthepresenceofoxygen Italsoallowsthe ownertoapplytreatmentstothewalltotrytoprevent furtherissues
If the seedy toe has not gone too high, it could possibly be treated by just removing the crumbly material and applying a treatment. The most important thing is to get the treatment to the head of the infection, at the coalface, where the living, multiplying bacteria and fungi are doing their devastation. This might be difficult if there is crumbly hoof wall material blocking any human intervention
TOE ~ by Lindsey Field MSc
Photo 2 (above):
A para sagittal slice through the same hoof as photo one, at the part shown by the arrow in photo one.
Photo 3 (below):
The cavity created by the seedy toe bacteria and fungi is shown in red
Photo 4:
Another case of seedy toe. In this case there was a lot of paddock debris rammed up the cavity. Note the odd shape of the hoof wall on the inside. It appears to be pushing in on the inner hoof. This is what I think causes pain. It also looks like the coffin bone has lost some mass as it’s an odd shape.
These are my experiences and my observations on seedy toe and please consult your veterinarian or hoof care provider if you are at all concerned
Photo 5:
Field
Visit Lindsey’s shop for educational materials on the equine foot https://hoofstudies.com
Photos in this article are the copyright of the author
With over 40 years of experience with horses, Sue uses her knowledge of the links between equine pain and behaviour to help you understand and enjoy your horse
Another gem of a quote from the talent that is Charlie Mackesy
I remember always being told that I was too soft with my horses, too soft with animals in general and that I needed to ‘show them who is boss’ or they would ‘take the mickey’.
Firstly, acting that way is not conducive to a mutually trusting relationship and I don’t want my animals to fear my presence
Secondly, we know horses don’t have the cognitive ability to ‘take the mickey’. There is currently no evidence to show that their brains work in that way. They live in the moment something we could all learn from and emulate and are incapable of ‘plotting’ against us
So for those of you who, like me, are often told to stop being so soft, stand tall and be proud of your big heart and gentleness towards others. Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness.
www thehorsephysio co ukKateFletcher
“Sometimes”, said the horse, “ you need to be reminded that it’s courageous to have a soft heart, and you are spectacular because of it.”
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