According to a study by Dr Sue Dyson MA, VetMB, PhD, DEO, FRCVS, half of the riders did not recognize their horse showing indications of a behavioral problem. Around half of the horses in the study presented with abnormal behavior while being tacked-up and mounting. With the addition of abnormal behavior during riding, the majority of horses have a riding behavioral problem, indicating an underlying problem. Most of the underlying problems can be corrected resolving the behavioral problem. The rider needs to recognize the abnormal behavioral.
The study illustrates the need for client education to improve the care and well-being of our equine companions and athletes. Generally if your horse is quiet, relaxed, calm and easy-going in the pasture or paddock, their attitude should not drastically change when you start to groom, tack-up, mount and ride. A behavioral change during these procedures are usually an indication of pain or discomfort or the anticipation of pain or discomfort by the horse. The behavioral signs are means or ways your horse is trying to tell you something is wrong. As caring horse owners, riders need to recognize these signs and correct or seek professional assistance to correct the underlying problem.
Any deviation from the normal disposition of your horse is a problem indicator. Sometimes a horse with an overall poor disposition, the disposition is the indicator of an occurring problem. Most riders recognize as an abnormal behavior, a horse kicking at the belly or trying to bite. More subtle behavior changes like an intense stare, moving the ears backward, fidgeting or odd posture may not be as easily recognized by the rider. When bridling, continued chomping at the bit, rubbing nose, sticking the tongue out or head tossing are all indicators of a problem. Tail swishing, trying to bite, or turning the head to girth are indication of a problem during saddling. During riding head tossing, tail swishing, a hollow back, reluctant to go forward, short stepping, going crocked, kicking, bucking, working on the forehand or a gradual stop are all abnormal behaviors indicating an occurring problem.
A subtle sign of a problem the rider may not realize is the horse that use to meet you at the stall door now walks to the back of the stall to be caught. When bridling, a horse indicating a problem may grind its teeth, yawn or be reluctant to open its mouth for the bit. During saddling the horse may pick up or paw a front foot or bare its teeth, all indicating a problem is present. During mounting, aversion to the mounting block or leaving the mounting block area or reluctance to allow a foot in the stirrup are indication the horse is experiencing pain or anticipating forthcoming pain.
Riders tend to ignore these subtle abnormal behavior changes. When the abnormal behavior occurs daily, the rider becomes complacent to the behavior. Or the rider will just attribute the behavior to the horse has a grumpy disposition. All these abnormal behaviors are warning signs, be alert.
Most clients will jump to the conclusion, the horse has a stomach ulcer. Although most horses with gastric ulcers do not demonstrate a girth avoidance behavior. Sensitivity to brushing the abdomen may be an indication of Intestinal Dysbiosis not necessarily a gastric ulcer. The abnormal behavior is more an indication of poor fitting tack, girth or back hypersensitivity, musculoskeletal pain or at least the anticipation of musculoskeletal pain. Some horses maybe lame or have an underlying biomechanical dysfunction.
Now with the recognition of your horse’s abnormal behavior, you can start to discover “why is that” to the abnormal behavior. Any piece of the tack maybe the culprit for the abnormal behavior. The horse should be investigated. Does the horse have any sensitivity in the mouth, poll, girth or back? Pain on palpation to these areas or skin lesions could indicate a tack problem. The bit and headstall, blankets, pad, girth and saddle should be check. Besides having a noxious surface, the fit of each piece of tack to the horse and the rider needs to be addressed.
Once you have assessed the equipment, the horse needs to be professionally evaluated. Dental problems like sharp molar points or abnormal incisor wear will cause abnormal behavior. Back pain of the thorax or lumbar maybe a saddle issue or musculoskeletal issue resolvable with a chiropractic adjustment. The horse may have a sacropelvic issue or Central Pattern Generator deficit creating pain in the thoracolumbar area. Sternal issues will create a cinchy horse. If the abnormal behavior has been ignored long enough, a lameness may have developed.
After the horse is evaluated, the tack should be assessed. Proper saddle fit to the horse and person is key to resolving abnormal behavior. New saddles can be as much of the problem as a used saddle. Just because same saddle has been used for years with no problems doesn’t mean it’s not the cause of the abnormal behavior. Proper care and maintenance of the equipment is a necessity. The horse gains and loses weight or muscle definition with exercise resulting in ill-fitting tack.
The good news is the horse has a high incidence of resolution of the abnormal behavior by correcting the musculoskeletal or tack problems. Floating the horse’s teeth or a chiropractic adjustment has rectified many an abnormal behavior problem. It is a common client comment after a chiropractic adjustment, “Thanks for giving me, my horse back, he is so much better.” If you have a horse with an abnormal behavior problem or a changed behavior give me a call or contact me through the website.