Horse Behaviour - The Horse Physio - Sue Palmer

Tag: Horse Behaviour

Horse and Hound Highlights the Power of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram

By Sue Palmer on November 30, 2025

The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) is one of the most significant scientific advances in equine welfare, recognising 24 subtle behaviours linked to discomfort. Trusted by vets and equine professionals, the RHpE enables earlier recognition of pain — often before lameness is visible — giving owners a clearer, kinder way to understand their horses.

Physiotherapy, Partnership, and Prevention: Why This Work Matters

By Sue Palmer on November 28, 2025

I recently received recognition in the SME Business Elite Awards, which offered a moment to reflect on why physiotherapy matters so deeply for both horses and humans. For me, this work has always been about comfort, harmony, prevention, and partnership. In this article, I share why I’m so passionate about supporting both sides of the horse–human relationship.

Harmonious Horsemanship Wins a Winnie Award at the Equus Film & Arts Festival 2025

By Sue Palmer on November 25, 2025

Harmonious Horsemanship, the book I co-authored with Dr Sue Dyson, has been named a Winnie Winner at the Equus Film and Arts Festival 2025. This award recognises our shared mission to help riders understand the subtle signs of pain and build a more compassionate, harmonious partnership with their horses.

The Mindful Equestrian — Recipes for a Deeper Connection with Your Horse

By Sue Palmer on August 16, 2025

In The Mindful Equestrian: Recipes for Balance, Connection and Well-Being, Sandra Williams invites us to slow down and reconnect with our horses through 18 simple, mindful groundwork exercises. With a unique ‘recipe’ format, authentic video clips, and a foundation in Intelligent Horsemanship, this book offers a thoughtful, practical path to deeper trust and connection.

Radio Humphrey the Horse, a poem by Pam Niell

By Sue Palmer on October 10, 2024

Sometimes, we all need a little light-heartedness in our lives, and where better to get that than this original poem by Pam Neill? Pam is a friend and colleague of 15 years or more - we find it best not to count the years, to be honest! This poem is about a cheeky grey pony we both knew, whose stable was near Pam's back door. I treated Humphrey every month and did my best to avoid his tendency for dramatics. I love it when I can treat a horse every month or every six weeks. That's the frequency I choose for treatment for myself when I can prioritise is, and I find it works well for the horses. My focus is on the prevention of problems, care of comfort, and promotion of performance. That's for me, and for the horses!

“Please listen to me”

By Sue Palmer on July 18, 2024

I don’t want to buck you off. There’s a sharp pain every time I go into canter when you’re riding me, and I can’t help but react to it. I don’t understand it, it doesn’t happen if I canter in the field. Please listen to me. I know you love me and want the best for me. I don’t know how else to tell you I’m hurting.

A Promise To Your Horse

By Sue Palmer on July 11, 2024

Dear friend, I promise to do my best to put you first and to understand your needs, wants, and desires. I realise you are wise in so many ways, and I am ignorant. I am in awe of your energy, peace, acceptance, beauty, and grace. I am grateful that you agree to spend time with me, and I promise not to ask of you that which you do not wish to give.

Three things that might make your horse…

By Sue Palmer on May 30, 2024

Three things that might make your horse... buck, spook, trip, grumpy to tack up, strong in the hand, unsettled in the contact, lazy, struggle to engage from behind, or refuse a fence...

How Pain Affects Your Horse

By Sue Palmer on April 7, 2024

In any subject, there are key areas to consider. In this lesson, ‘How Pain Affects Your Horse’, I’ll discuss the ‘5W’s’ of pain, the what, why, when, where, and who. I’ll also include the ‘H’ of ‘how’. What is ‘pain’? The International Association for the Study of Pain (ISAP) defines pain as "An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.” Short-term pain is called ‘acute pain’, and long-term pain is called ‘persistent’ or ‘chronic’ pain. Pain that comes and goes is called ‘recurrent’ or ‘intermittent’. Pain is a complex phenomenon involving our whole body, and the experience of pain can change from one day to the next.

What is a stretch?

By Sue Palmer on February 21, 2024

The word "stretch" can function as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it refers to something soft or elastic that is capable of being made longer or wider without tearing or breaking. For example, "my sweater stretched in the wash." It can also mean straightening or extending one's body or a part of one's body to its full length, typically to tighten one's muscles or reach something. For instance, "the cat yawned and stretched." As a noun, it can refer to an act of stretching one's limbs or body, such as "I got up and had a stretch," or a continuous area or expanse of land or water, like "a treacherous stretch of road."

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