pain in horses - The Horse Physio - Sue Palmer

Tag: pain in horses

Ease your horse’s neck stiffness with this gentle fascial stretch!

By Sue Palmer on May 1, 2024

If your horse is stiff through his neck, you can help to improve the movement with regular stretches. This fascial stretch of the equine neck and shoulder girdle muscles is taken from the online course, “Stretching Your Horse: A Guide to Keeping Your Equine Friend Happy and Healthy”, with me, Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio. I’m on a mission to help those who can't get the horse physio assessment and treatment they would like to offer their horse, and I’ve carefully and lovingly created this course with that aim in mind.

Don’t wait until your horse is in pain to check their comfort levels!

By Sue Palmer on April 28, 2024

I’m frustrated at horses being labelled as naughty when they’re actually lame or in pain. How else is a horse supposed to tell you that he’s hurting other than through his behaviour? Since you’re reading this, I know you share my frustration. We know that just about everyone loves their horse and wants the best for him. You’d be devastated if he was in pain and you didn’t know about it. So, to help owners and riders be more confident that their horse is comfortable, I’ve put together this short video and blog, which I’d appreciate it if you would share widely on your favourite social media channel. Here are three simple exercises you can do on a daily basis to check that your horse is comfortable.

The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram: A Tool for Equine Wellness and Performance

By Sue Palmer on April 14, 2024

Join me on a journey as we delve into the significance of 'Harmonious Horsemanship' and the transformative Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram! Let’s uncover insights shared during a recent webinar I presented with Dr. Sue Dyson hosted by Gillian Higgins of Horses Inside Out.

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.

Why does my horse buck?

By Sue Palmer on March 16, 2024

“There can’t be much wrong with him if he can keep bucking people off the way he does”, is how I was greeted at a yard recently. I know I’m preaching to the converted here, so it’s safe to vent my frustration. I’ve put years into writing ‘Brain, Pain, or Training’ and then more into writing ‘Harmonious Horsemanship’ in partnership with Dr Sue Dyson. Dr Dyson has spent years developing the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (also known as the Ridden Horse Performance Checklist - you can download a FREE PDF here) and ensuring that multiple robust scientific studies back up the list of 24 behaviours. That’s on top of the hundreds of scientific papers she’s been involved in around horse health. And that’s just me and Dr Dyson. There’s a worldwide conversation around social license for equestrianism. Discussions around horse welfare are at the top of the Paris Olympics agenda.

’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.