Horse Behaviour - The Horse Physio - Sue Palmer

Tag: Horse Behaviour

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."

Clear and consistent communication eases uncertainty

By Sue Palmer on January 30, 2024

“The mistake is thinking that there can be an antidote to the uncertainty.” David Levithan I like to be in control of what’s going on in my life. Don’t we all? Uncertainty makes me anxious, and I fight harder to take back control. It turns out that horses don’t respond well to uncertainty, either. As Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Trainer Carley O’Callaghan (Considerate Horsemanship) said in a FB post, “When we are not consistent and clear, the horse doesn't understand what's expected. Quickly, you'll find yourself in a situation that's not enjoyable/dangerous with a horse that doesn't understand. When we are being clear with horses, we will quickly find our need to correct the horse becomes less and less. If you feel you’re correcting the same thing over and over, it's time to change the approach and question.”

Was it a regret or a lesson?

By Sue Palmer on January 29, 2024

You know that really embarrassing thing you did a few years ago? The one that still makes you cringe every time you think about it? Do you regret doing it, or could you reframe it more positively as a lesson you’ve learned from?

Brain, Pain or Training?’ Practical Exercises: Introduction

By Sue Palmer on May 11, 2023

This may be the most important chapter of this book.Here you’ll find a set of ten practical exercises that you can do with your horse to help assess whether he could be suffering some discomfort that might affect his behaviour or performance. The aim of these exercises is to assess balance, comfort, ease and freedom of movement, muscle tone, reaction to touch, soundness, symmetry of the musculoskeletal system, and symmetry of movement. Unexpected responses could flag up weakness, discomfort, stiffness, restriction in range of movement, muscle spasm, unsoundness, and asymmetry in either the horse’s musculoskeletal system or his movement.

Get your hands on our hands-on massage course!

By Sue Palmer on May 9, 2023

We all love a massage, and our horses are no different. Massage is an excellent skill to learn and a great gift to give our horses. If you love learning from a book, buy Sue Palmer’s book [Horse Massage for Horse Owners]. However, learning from a book is complex and problematic for many people. More and more people have been asking for Sue to run a hands-on massage course to give them a chance to learn some valuable techniques to help with their horses.

“Please listen to me”

By Sue Palmer on April 23, 2023

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.

Is Your Horse A Pain In The Neck?

By Sue Palmer on March 30, 2023

Neck pain in horses is complicated. It might manifest as lameness, poor performance, or a behavioural change. Changes in behaviour can vary from the downright dangerous, such as rearing or bolting, to the “he feels slightly off.”

’Brain, Pain, or Training?’ Chapter 1: How To Use This Book

By Sue Palmer on March 30, 2023

You know your horse better than anyone else. You are his strongest advocate, his ‘best expert’. This book is about helping you to make the most of your time with your horse, as opposed to making your horse do the most. To achieve success with a horse in any sphere you need to understand him and he needs to understand you, because good communication is key in any successful relationship. Understanding horses comes through education and experience, and leads to improved welfare, safety, and enjoyment.

How To Grow A Healthy Horse: Part 2

By Sue Palmer on January 2, 2023

The British Horse Foundation’s ‘Better Beginnings’ round table event was held at Weatherbys on Monday 10th October 2022. I have split this blog into three parts, to keep them short, as there is so much information. This is part 2.

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