The Horse Physio - Delivering care with expertise since 1992

Brain, Pain, or Training

Bonus Content

If you have read the book or watched the DVD ‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?’, you will know that they offer a set of 10 practical exercises that you can use with your horse on a regular basis to flag up potential pain or discomfort that may be affecting his behaviour or performance.  

If you have not read or watched ‘Brain, Pain or Training?’ and would like to, you can find it here.  In the book and DVD, I promise two bonus exercises on my website, and here they are.  Happy horsing!

Two Bonus Exercises

Check the pecs

What to do:
Stroke between your horse’s front legs, first softly, then firmly, in the direction of the hair.  Do this whilst standing on his left side, then again whilst standing on his right side.

The ideal:
There should be no adverse reaction from your horse, he should continue standing calmly or munching on his hay.

Potential pain indicators:
Any sign of discomfort, especially a threatening expression or threatening behaviour.  Moving away from you, lifting a front leg or snapping a front foot up, throwing a front leg out forwards.

Standing Square

What to do:
Ask your horse to stand square, in hand, on level ground.

The ideal:
It may take a while of gently shifting different feet in the right direction, but your horse should be able to stand square within a couple of minutes at the most (quicker once you’ve trained him to do this exercise and he knows what’s expected of him).  Once he’s standing square, he should be weight bearing equally between both front feet and between both hind feet, with his head and neck straight in front of him.

Potential pain indicators:
Apparent inability to stand square (usually behind), or constantly resting one hind leg or the other.

Two Bonus Downloads

50 Questions

Please download this PDF and print it out, so that you can keep it handy in your tack room and share it with your friends. Use these questions to assess whether there is a problem with your horse – then use the top tips in the book and DVD to help you resolve it!
download 50 questions

BPT Record Sheet

Here is your downloadable record sheet, please print it out and keep it in your tack room. It will help you to monitor your horse’s progress. We hope you find it useful, if so please share it with your friends!

download Record Sheet

Sue says 
"You are your horse's best expert"
 
Once you have determined your starting point, you can help your horse to reach his potential.

You are the central character in your horse's care, and it is up to you to develop your knowledge and build a trusted team around him. 

On this website you will find a list of relevant organisations that might help with this. There are many options for developing your learning, and in 'Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?' I have discussed seven secrets to resolving brain issues, pain issues, and training issues. 

These are things you can start on straight away with your own horse, alongside whatever other support you choose to make use of.

Get your copy of ‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training’ today from  the  Intelligent Horsemanship Association
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