Determination of Equine Behaviour in Subjectively Non-Lame Ridden Sports Horses and Comparison with Lame Sports Horses Evaluated at Competitions.
Authors: Dyson Sue, Pollard Danica
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Equine Behaviour and Pain Recognition in Competition Horses Dyson and Pollard's 2024 analysis of 1,358 competition horses applied the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE)—a systematic behavioural assessment tool—to establish baseline pain indicators across different equestrian disciplines, with the aim of distinguishing genuinely sound horses from those experiencing subclinical lameness or movement abnormalities. Grand Prix dressage competitors and elite three-day eventers showed significantly lower median RHpE scores (4 points) than lower-level one-day event horses, suggesting that horses competing at higher levels may either be more carefully selected for soundness or that riders develop greater sensitivity to subtle pain-related behaviours. Of the 24 distinct pain behaviours catalogued in the RHpE, most showed statistically significant differences between horses confirmed as non-lame and those displaying objective lameness, though many non-lame horses still exhibited individual pain-related behaviours at varying frequencies. This data is particularly valuable for equine practitioners as it provides an evidence-based reference for normal versus abnormal behavioural presentation, allowing farriers, veterinarians and therapists to identify welfare concerns that owners and riders might otherwise miss or dismiss. Moving forward, integrating RHpE observations into routine assessments could improve early detection of musculoskeletal issues before they compromise performance, welfare or safety.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Riders and owners often present horses to competition with subtle pain behaviours unrecognized as lameness; learning the 24 behaviours in the RHpE can help identify these horses and prevent welfare compromise
- •Low-level event horses show higher pain behaviour scores than elite dressage horses, suggesting different training methods or populations; consider ethogram assessment when investigating performance issues at lower levels
- •Recognition and elimination of pain behaviours before they manifest as overt lameness may improve both horse welfare and ridden performance, including rider confidence and safety
Key Findings
- •Median RHpE score across all 1358 competition horses was 4 (IQR 2-5), with median lameness grade 0 (IQR 0-1), indicating pain behaviours present even in subjectively non-lame horses
- •Significant difference in RHpE scores between low-level ODE (highest median scores) and GP dressage (p = 0.001), but no difference between 5* TDE and low-level ODE (p = 0.09)
- •Chi-square/Fisher's exact test identified significant differences in prevalence of 24 RHpE behaviours between non-lame and lame horses, indicating the ethogram can discriminate pain states