Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to Elite Dressage Horses Competing in World Cup Grand Prix Competitions.
Authors: Dyson Sue, Pollard Danica
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Pain Indicators in Elite Grand Prix Dressage Dyson and Pollard's 2021 analysis applied the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE)—a validated behavioural assessment tool—to 147 horses competing in FEI World Cup Grand Prix competitions, comparing pain-related indicators with official judges' scores and documenting deviations from FEI gait standards. The median RHpE score across all horses was 3 (range 0–7), with mouth opening and tooth separation persisting for ≥10 seconds in 68% of competitors, head carriage behind vertical for ≥10 seconds in 67%, intense staring in 30%, and repeated tail swishing in 29%—collectively suggesting varying degrees of discomfort during performance. Importantly, a moderate negative correlation (Spearman rho −0.40, p < 0.001) emerged between RHpE scores and judges' marks, meaning horses displaying more pain behaviours still received respectable scores, indicating a significant disconnect between competitive assessment criteria and equine welfare indicators. Passage, piaffe, flying changes, pirouettes, and the halt-immobility-rein back sequence showed the highest incidence of gait deviations from FEI guidelines, suggesting these are inherently challenging movements for many horses at this level. For practitioners, these findings warrant serious consideration: whilst the study concludes most horses appeared reasonably comfortable overall, the prevalence of mouth and head position behaviours—particularly their apparent independence from judging outcomes—merits investigation into double bridle effects on ridden posture, training methodology, and whether current elite dressage standards adequately prioritize equine welfare alongside athletic performance.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Most elite dressage horses show some pain-related behaviors during competition; trainers and riders should recognize that mouth opening, head carriage behind vertical, and tail swishing may indicate discomfort rather than submission
- •Consider investigating how bridle type (double vs snaffle) affects head position and mouth opening, as these behaviors were highly prevalent and may be equipment-related rather than pain-related
- •Movement quality judged by competition scores does not necessarily reflect horse welfare; integration of pain ethogram assessment into competition evaluation could improve recognition of compromised horse welfare at elite levels
Key Findings
- •Median RHpE score was 3 (IQR 1-4, range 0-7) across 147 elite Grand Prix dressage horses
- •Moderate negative correlation (rho -0.40, p<0.001) between RHpE scores and judges' scores indicating horses showing pain signs received lower competitive scores
- •Most frequent pain indicators were mouth open with teeth separation ≥10s (68%), head behind vertical ≥10° for ≥10s (67%), intense stare ≥5s (30%), and repeated tail swishing (29%)
- •Gait deviations from FEI guidelines were most common in passage, piaffe, canter flying-changes, canter pirouettes, and the halt-immobility-rein back-collected trot sequence