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A Pelvic Blow Out? The Widened Pubic Symphysis in Horses

November 15, 2020 by Jane @ THB 20 Comments

Now here is something that’s just so common that people seem to think it’s normal. I guess that if you define ‘normal’ as something that’s nearly always seen, then yes, it’s probably normal – but that doesn’t make it a good thing.

So what are we looking at here?

Note: this article was edited for improved clarity on 19 May 2024.

First, a ‘Normal’ Equine Pelvis

The horse’s pelvis is made up of two halves, these being the pelvic bones (os coxae). Each half – or hemipelvis – is made up of three flat bones, the ilium, pubis and ischium, which are fused into one.

The ilium attaches to the sacrum at the sacroiliac joint, a combined synovial and fibrocartilagenous joint which is supported by ventral, dorsal and lateral sacroiliac ligaments. The sacrum articulates with the lumbar spine and coccygeal (tail) vertebrae.

The two halves join at the pelvic floor, via a cartilaginous joint called the pubic (or pelvic) symphysis. Made of hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage, this gradually ossifies so that by around 6 years of age, it is usually bone and mostly fused.

It is common to see a short opening at the rear, which possibly enables some valuable shock-abosrbing motion in the overall structure.

Hemi-pelvis (os coxae) of a 5- yo Australian Stock Horse, showing the pubic symphysis. Only the cranial (front) part of the ligamentous joint was intact. (c) The Horse’s Back

How the two halves would have been positioned in the living horse. The cranial part (top of photo) was still ligamentous at the time of death. The caudal section (bottom of photo) was separated as a result of traumatic falls. (c) The Horse’s Back

In older horses, this joint would normally completely ossify, so that the base of the pelvis is solid bone. Given that many of the equine pelvises we do get to see are from older horses, you’d think we’d see them all fused and ossified.

However, that’s not the case. While it’s normal for a short section to be widened at the rear of the symphysis, many are separated along 1/3 to 2/3 of their length, being fused only at the cranial (front) end of the pubic symphysis.

Separation of the Pubic Symphysis

We can sometimes see this condition without looking at the bones. The reason for this is that the two halves of the pelvis have opened out to the extent that there’s no symmetry in the living horse’s structure at all. The pelvis is both distorted and twisted.

The tuber sacrales tell us about sacroiliac damage, usually when these are of different heights > 5 mm.
The tuber coxae (point of hip) are positioned differently, with one higher or further forward.
The tuber ischii (seat bones) may be at different heights, or one may be further forward.
The horse is very often rotated along the thoracolumbar spine, with a noticeable direction change at T18-L1 (thoracolumbar junction).

The ex-racehorse’s pelvis can be particularly distorted. (c) The Horse’s Back

The problem can be very obvious. Always check under the tail, as what you see there can tell you a lot… The following horse had an outwardly rotated left hindlimb.

The asymmetrical height and position of the tuber ischii (seat bones) is visible under the tail, where it looks as if the anus is off to one side. Warmblood gelding, presumed traumatic fall (c) The Horse’s Back, posted with owner permission.

An older horse’s pelvis may become distorted due to a fall, trauma or long term muscular stresses, without the pubic symphysis being separated. This is because it has fully ossified.

The difference lies in the degree of the problem: a major trauma might cause additional fractures or ligaments rupture, with signs of serious injury at the time. Ongoing stress can gradually affect angles of the tuberosities (sacrales, ischii and coxae), albeit not as dramatically as in major trauma.

What About The Sports Horse’s Pelvis?

In ridden horses and especially in ex-racehorses, it’s not uncommon to see significant widening and associated asymmetry of the two pelvic halves. It can’t all be due to heavy falls, at least not in flat racing.

The following two photos show the pelvis of an ex-racehorse. This wasn’t an extreme case by any means, but look at how far forward the separation extends. It reaches right to the weakest part of the structure, between the obturator foramen (the two openings). This primes the pelvis for distortion.

Outcome? The bones show an overall distortion, nowhere more so than in the different angles of the acetabulum (cup part of the hip joints).

It can, of course, be worse.

Pelvis of a 9-yo OTTB gelding. The separation extends along the caudal 2/3 of the symphysis. This extends to the narrowest, weakest part of the symphysis, enabling greater lateral distortion of the two pelvic halves. (c) The Horse’s Back

It’s Not Always a Disaster

Some horses can do very well after experiencing this type of pelvic distortion. Here’s a TB who never made it to the track and has considerable distortion.

And yet, through a series of compensatory adjustments along his spine, he stands squarely and works quite well.

OK, so he only takes part in local competitions and is never going to be working at a serious level, but with good management of his body and hooves, and correct training and saddle fit, he’s very functional. He just needs those things to be absolutely correct, as there’s no wriggle room for further compensations.

This problem can be a career-changer without sounding a death knell.

If Horses Can Live With It, Should We Worry?

Let’s be clear: this may well have hurt when it happened. Whether through trauma or the effects of ongoing physical stress on bone, the wide separation of the pelvis would be painful.

The pain of a sacroiliac ligament lesion might get noticed and the horse be rested. A check for more common stress fractures in the ilium might yield no findings.

The fortunate ones will get rehabilitation exercises as they get going again.

Yet going by how rarely we hear about this issue, it can be assumed that it’s often overlooked.

But What About Later?

Once the horse is through the original trauma, does this distorted pelvis remain a problem? It all comes down to how bad it is.

Please note the use of “may” in the following points.

Some horses are fully able to compensate for a milder or fully symmetrical presentation and there is no effect on performance.

If the pelvis is distorted and the coxofemoral (hip) joints are in different positions, then stride length, lateral and circle work may be affected.

Different hindlimb positioning can also lead to asymmetric weight bearing, with different concussion through the hind limbs, and diagonal effects flowing forward.

If it’s bad, co-existing sacroiliac damage may lead to an ongoing vulnerability. Tuber sacrales may be extremely close together because the pubic symphysis has widened.

Pelvic asymmetry may link to rotation of the spine and scoliosis along its length.

Plus, a horse may retraumatise an existing opened pubic symphysis, leading to renewed pain.

As I always say, awareness is everything.

It’s always wise to check the pelvic symmetry of your horse, particularly a potential purchase off the track, while being sure to understand how and why this will affect performance.

[1] https://epos.myesr.org/poster/esr/ecr2020/C-08782/Findings%20and%20procedure%20details#poster

[2] Beatty T. Osteitis pubis in athletes. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2012 Mar-Apr;11(2):96-8. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e318249c32b.

Footnote

In 2012, I asked Dr Sharon May-Davis about an ex-racehorse I was seeing. The TB, who had a very asymmetrical pelvis, had done some damage to himself and had obvious pelvic pain, with that dull, dull look of pain in the eye that I associate with fractures. Sharon asked me if I had a photo of the structure under his tail, and I did – it was so asymmetric that I’d photographed it. Sharon sent me a photo of some pelvic bones and for the first time, I saw the underlying nature of this problem. Yet again, I have to thank Sharon for alerting us to this disturbingly common issue in horses.

Footnote 2 (June 2025)

In the past 18 months, I have experienced some grief over this post on social media. I am now republishing it under a refreshed title, although with some reluctance. I stand by the information it contains, which was not formerly in the general domain until this appeared in late 2020. This pelvic issue is a contributory or causal factor to asymmetry in the horse, yet is not (in the vast majority of cases) a catastrophic event. However, this issue and consequent asymmetry, if serious, may prevent performance at the higher athletic levels, even if not in itself a source of pain or breakdown. As owners, we must recognise this and make appropriate decisions for the horse’s activities and career. If horses are to be helped and understood, I believe such topics should not be the sole preserve of articles in scientific journals. There are places for information at many levels – if some popular terminology help owners to understand, then I also question whether that is a bad thing.

All About Crooked Legs: Angular Limb Deformities in Horses and Foals

April 5, 2020 by Jane @ THB 9 Comments

Angular Limb Deformities: it’s the technical term for crooked leg problems. The term sounds alarming, but how bad are they and exactly how common?

We’ve all seen shocking pictures of crooked foal legs in groups and forums, but thankfully they stand out exactly because they’re not so common.

However, many horses have mild or moderate versions of these. And what is normal is that many tend to slip under the radar, undetected by owners and breeders. And that’s not a good thing.

The problem is that moderate angular limb deformities (ALDs, as we’ll now call them) can create bigger problems as the horse grows older, with increased risk of lameness, instability, and joint degeneration.

They can cause complications when the horse is injured elsewhere in the body and needs to compensate, but can’t, because the non-straight limbs are already under pressure.

To repeat: many ALDs aren’t an issue. In fact, many are so mild that they’re never a problem.

The thing is, you need to know the difference. And that means knowing what to look for.

Some are obvious, others need veterinary radiographs to be sure. For all of them, the earlier you catch them in foals, the better. Always talk to your vet first.

So without further ado, here are ten ALDs you really ought to know about.

© All text copyright of the author, Jane Clothier, https://thehorsesback.com. No reproduction of partial or entire text without permission. Sharing the link back to this page is fine. Please contact me for more information. Thank you!

1. Carpal Valgus

‘Knock Knees’

*Carpal valgus (c) vetstream.com. Additional markup: THB.*

This is the most commonly seen ALD in foals and horses. Technically it is an outward deviation of the lower leg from the mid line. Most of us see the other effect – the knees coming closer together.

In foals, the hoof often points outward. In older horses, the hoof may turn inwards – this is compensation to bring weight bearing back in.

There may have been a fetlock valgus (see #3) lower down, which has then caused the carpal valgus higher up.

This can be congenital. It can also be acquired, as a result of physitis of the radial growth plate immediately above the knee at a few months of age.

Incomplete ossification, when the carpal bones are underdeveloped at birth due to dysmaturity or prematurity, can contribute to this problem.

Key points: ALD of forelegs; knock-kneed appearance; lower leg angled outwards; affects one or both forelegs.

2. Tarsal Valgus

‘Cow Hocks’ (mistaken for)

*Tarsal valgus in a foal (c) Redden, RF [1]*

This is an ALD that very often gets mixed up with the conformational trait of cow hocks. To further confuse matters, mature horses with back issues may also stand unusually behind.

In these limbs, the point of hock angles inwards, while the lower limb angles outwards. Often, the pasterns are also angled outwards, giving a splay-footed look. In walk, the foot will swing in and then land wide.

The entire leg may be rotated out from the midline, as in this image.

In older horses, the medial heel may be crushed or under run.

Key points: ALD of hind legs; lower limb or whole limb angled out; affected hinds land wide; affects one or both limbs; one limb often worse.

3. Fetlock Valgus

‘Toe Out’

*Fetlock valgus. (c) unknown. Additional mark-up: THB.*

It’s extremely hard to find a picture that shows a fetlock valgus with no other visible limb deformity. Even the mild ones tend to be associated with rotation at knee level (see #10).

This is when the pastern and therefore hoof are angled away from the midline, below the level of the fetlock.

The valgus in this photo is reasonably clear, although there’s some rotation in the knee. Note that the foal is weighting this limb less and an upright foot is already starting to develop.

Key points: usually ALD of forelegs; sometimes with tarsal valgus in hind legs; one or both feet angled outwards; one often worse.

4. Fetlock Varus

‘Toe In, Pigeon-toed’

*Fetlock varus (c) Stephen O’Grady [3]. Additional mark-up: THB*

A fetlock varus is also often confused for conformation or a horse ‘just being like that’.

With this problem, the foot is angled towards the midline below the level of the fetlock,

This problem is often combined with offset canons or rotated carpals (see # 9,10), as the foal is compensating in an effort to bring the weight bearing line back beneath the shoulder joint.

In older horses, the lateral heel may be crushed or wear down quicker. Depending on severity, there may be a tendency to ringbone in later life.

Key points: usually ALD of forelimb; affects one or both legs; often accompanied by a carpal ALD.

5. Carpal Varus

‘Bow Legs’

In a carpal varus deformity, the lower leg is angled inwards, towards the midline. Our eye tends to see it as the joint being angled outwards.

You don’t often hear about bow legs in horses, do you? That’s because it’s rare.

It’s usually seen in older horses, when the problems have layered up. Arthritis may already be present in the joints, while tendons and ligaments may have lesions.

Some may have had lax ligaments at birth, or have ruptured the common digital extensor tendon at a young age, causing misalignment of the carpal bones.

Key points: rare ALD of foreleg; bow-legged look; foot dishes inward; arthritis and lameness likely.

6. Flexural Deformity

‘Contracted Tendons’ (so-called)

This is a common deformity in newborn foals (call your vet).

Sometimes it affects the carpal (knee) joints only and the foal is still able to use the lower leg quite effectively. Or, it affects both the carpal joints and the fetlocks, leading to a more serious situation where they can’t walk on the hoof.

*Severe congenital flexural deformity (c) J. Clothier*

This can also be an acquired deformity related to incorrect nutrition during the first weeks and months of life. In these cases, nutritional measures, remedial hoofcare and even surgery may be required .

The hind legs can also be affected, although this is less serious as the direction of joint flexion encourages correction.

Mild cases in foals can often come right on their own in the first days of life with a little help. However, it is always important to involve a vet at an early stage for monitoring.

Key points: ALD mostly affecting forelegs; either knees only or knees and fetlocks.

7. Hyperextension

‘Lax Tendons’

Again, this is super-common in newborn foals and it can often resolve all on its own in the first few days of life with a mix of confinement and limited exercise.

Occasionally, in the case of dysmature and premature foals, the problem can be more complex. Combined with incomplete ossification and lax ligaments, hyperextension can lead to another level of ALD, as the cuboid bones of the carpals and tarsals become misshapen.

Once more, give the foal a couple of days to straighten up and then talk to your vet if it persists.

Key points: affects forelegs and hindlegs often together; usually resolves with conservative exercise; support for limbs and hooves may be required.

8. ‘Windswept’

This startling looking deviation is often seen in foals that are post-mature – they have had a long gestation and have been restricted within the uterus.

What we’re looking at is a combination of ALDs: carpal valgus and varus in front, and/or a tarsal valgus and varus behind.

The problem will general resolve within a few days, sometimes with a bit of hoofcare and bodywork to assist.

However, if the foal appears weak despite being ‘over-cooked’, with hyperextension (#7) as well, be sure to monitor it especially carefully during the early weeks and months. This is because incomplete ossification may also be present.

Key points: affects forelimbs and/or hindlimbs; hyperextension may also be present; often resolves in days.

9. Offset Cannons

*Offset cannon (c) horsesidevetguide.com Additional markup: THB*

Strictly speaking, this is a conformational trait, as it often visible in the sire or dam. However, it is still classified as an ALDs on account of the structural weaknesses involved.

In the offset cannon, the cannon bone is positioned wider than the midline of the leg, although it still faces forwards. The hoof is also forward facing.

In one leg, this ALD may have no negative effect on athletic performance. Yet if present in both forelegs, the horse may be less stable in some situations, such as going downhill.

It increases the chances of two things: developing a splint (medial leg) and a tendency for the foot to turn inwards, which could then lead to an acquired fetlock varus (see #4).

In racehorses, it can increase the chance of injury in the medial carpals, while other sports horses may be prone to osteoarthritis in the joint.

Key points: cannon appears shifted sideways; cannon, hoof and knee face forwards; usually inherited conformation; medial splints more likely.

10. Carpal Rotation

‘Bench Knees’

*Rotated carpals with associated fetlock valgus. (c) unknown. Additional markup by THB.*

In this ALD, the cannon bones are rotated slightly outwards, as are the lower knee bones and the feet. This sets the horse up for a fetlock valgus (‘toe out’), as can be seen in the left foreleg in this image.

Also a conformational trait, this kind of leg is frequently seen in Quarter Horses. A wide chest and narrow lower limbs can also contribute to a postural rotation of the foreleg.

Similar rotation in the lower forelimb can also be an acquired ALD, if a young horse has to change its weight bearing for a long time, due to (say) an injury in the diagonally opposite hind limb.

From certain angles, this rotation can look like a carpal valgus. Always check from different angles to be sure.

Key point: face of cannon and knee appear rotated outwards; pastern and toe often angled outwards, medial splints more likely; medial hoof wears faster.

Other resources

[1] Redden, RF. How to Evaluate Foot Flight and Leg Alignment
AAEP PROCEEDINGS, Vol. 57, 2011, p.407

[2] O’Grady, SE, Routine Trimming and Therapeutic Farriery in Foals, Th Veterinary Clinics of North America, Equine Practice, 2017

‘The Size of a Walnut’ – Does Equine Brain Size Matter?

November 5, 2019 by Jane @ THB 7 Comments

There seem to be quite a few social media posts about the equine brain of late – and that’s no bad thing.

In some ways, the brain is simply the latest part of the equine anatomy to come under the spot light. It’s being subject to statements about welfare, training and psychology – and that’s definitely a good thing (here’s one from Hippologic.)

However, I want to add something to this equine brain discussion. I just happened to run in to it when I went down a research rabbit hole a couple of years back.

We often hear how brain size is not directly linked to an individual’s intelligence. At the same time, a relatively large brain is said to signify intelligence in humans, while that of the horse, popularly said to be the size of a (large) walnut, is said to account for their lack of intelligence.

*Vintage anatomy print showing relatively small size of equine brain to body size.*

This falls down once we look at elephants, which have relatively small brains yet are pretty cluey.

In horses, innovative behaviors without evolutionary basis are often used as a measure of intelligence (read more here about unlatching gates). Leaving behaviour-based measurement methods aside for the moment, let’s ask: how do we figure out if there’s an association between different brain sizes and intelligence levels?

(Note: if you’re a neuroscientist of any description, look away now. What follows is a highly simplistic overview of this incredibly complex subject area.)

© All text copyright of the author, Jane Clothier, www.thehorsesback.com. No reproduction of partial or entire text without permission. Sharing the link back to this page is fine. Please contact me for more information. Thank you!

Measuring Equine Brain Mass and Body Mass

In zoology, the starting point isn’t about brain size, but brain mass compared with body mass or weight.

Even then, it’s not a matter of separating the brain from the body and then weighing both. The most accurate way of measuring this accounts for several anatomical, physiological factors, including the amount of water in the brain.

The result is a single figure that is called the encephalization quotient (EQ). The EQ for a species is arrived at after researchers have performed the calculation for dozens of animals.

*The parietal bones form the domed ‘cranial vault’ of the skull.*

So How Does This Look for the Equine Brain?

Only a handful of equine researchers have delved into EQs, as this is mostly an area of zoological neuroanatomy.

In this study by Cozzi et al (2014), the brains of 131 mixed breed adult horses (no ponies) were collected and weighed.[1] Researchers found first that the adult horse’s brain weighs 600 – 700 g. The average brain weight for horses aged 2 years and over was 606 g, while the average bodyweight was 535.22 kg.

This meant the horses in this study had an EQ of 0.78.

Here are the EQs for some of the large mammals: Cow – 0.55, Pig – 0.6, Camel – 0.61, Horse – 0.78, Goat – 0.8, Wolf – 0.9, Domestic Cat – 1.00, African Elephant – 1.67, Gorilla – 1.76, Human – 6.62.

And if you’re really interested, here’s the calculation used in the equine paper. Other scientists use different calculations – there is no standard approach.

EQ = E i / 0.12 P2/3E_a/E_e

So, Are Horses Intelligent – or Not?

A larger brain mass compared with body mass is often associated with better cognitive functioning, but that does not mean it causes it.

Brain size is therefore a very general measure for intelligence. What actually matters are the specific areas of the brain and their relative sizes.

The bigger the frontal lobes, the more capable the species is of ‘goal directed’ behaviors – that is, the ability to analyse information and act accordingly, planning ahead. [2]

Here we hit an issue. The frontal lobes are either relatively small in the horse, or non-existent – and this is a matter of contention. Some published veterinary researchers maintain that they do, as shown below.

*Rough comparison of the frontal lobes of the horse (left) and human brains.*

However, researcher and author of Horse Brain, Human Brain Janet Jones PhD writes, “Basic anatomy shows that horses have no frontal lobes and no prefrontal cortex. No qualified PhD trained in neuroscience disputes this anatomy.”[3]

Whichever is true, the take home for both is that the horse is more likely to react in the moment. This is not to say that horses lack intelligence, but that they think and respond differently.

The brain’s fissures are also important. These are the wrinkles and grooves, known as sulci (sunken inwards) and gyri (protrude outwards). They’re standard within species, although the brains of some species have more complex surfaces than others.

Rats, considered to be on the lower end of the intelligence scale of mammals (although rat owners will surely disagree), have smoother brain surfaces than horses. In turn, horses have fewer fissures in their brains than primates.

The area contained within the cranium is the ‘cranial vault’. Its inner surface perfectly matches the outer surface of the brain, as they develop together as the animal grows. If you could look inside this part of the skull, you would see a perfect mould of the fissures.

More recent research also links the organization of neurons (nerve cells) and synapses in the brain to intelligence.

Surely There’s a Difference Between Breeds?

Different breeds of horses certainly have differences in the shapes of their heads.

However, these differences are slight overall. In a study of TBs, STBs and Arabians, the relative proportions of the ‘neurocranium’ – the area above the frontonasal suture, including the cranium – were reasonably similar between breeds.

It was the lower part of the skull, primarily the nasal bones and the maxilla, that varied most and gave the breeds their different looks [4]. The study did not measure the cranium itself.

*The neurocranium aligns with the ends of the frontonasal suture and includes the temporal and parietal bones, ending at the occiput.*

This suggests that while some breeds may look extremely different – take the Welsh Cob and the TB, for instance – the neurocranium may be nearly square in all, at least when viewed from the front.

And even though some breeds may have proportionately larger heads, all (excluding ponies) will have EQs grouped around the average score of 0.78 mentioned earlier.

Small and wide ponies, incidentally, often have quite large parietal domes (or tuberosities, as they should be known), but the jury is out as to whether this makes them more intelligent… The fact is that we don’t know.

A Little More on Equine Brain Size

There are a few other differences that aren’t documented. Comparing horse skulls, we can see that some have a cranium that is narrower in relation to overall skull width than others. They also vary in shape: some are very full and round, while others are more teardrop shaped.

You can see this when you look at the spaces to either side of the parietal ‘dome’ and temporal bones, where the coronoid processes (tips) of the mandible protrude behind the zygomatic arch.

This may be due to breed or it may be individual. Our own skulls vary from person to person, with some aspects being just how we are, while others may be more developmental.

We can see this in horses too. Dwarf horses can have domed heads, as can horses that have been born prematurely.

This can affect intelligence – researchers have found that in humans, when the brain is smaller due to development delays, the intelligence can be lower. If it is smaller without any developmental delay, it makes no difference at all. [5]

Interestingly, a new study in humans shows that the longer the time Romanian orphans spent in the institutions as babies, the smaller their total brain volume, with these changes being associated with a lower IQ. You can read more about that study here. [6]

Personally, I would love to know more about this, as I’ve been researching the developmental effects of gestational problems in horses, including the effects of premature birth (my PhD thesis lives here). It’s the same old problem though: once a horse is at the stage where we can examine its skull, its early history is usually lost in the mists of time.

Ultimately, as with humans, what is going to make the most difference to us as horse owners is the individual’s learning experiences at different stages of its life. This is also where equine personality comes in, and the methods of training used, but those are different subject areas altogether.

[1] Cozzi et al., The Brain of the Horse: Weight and Cephalization Quotients, Brain Behav. Evol., 2014; 83:9-16

[2] McGreevy, P., Equine Behavior – A Guide for Veterinarians and Equine Scientists, Elsevier, 2012.

[3] Janet Jones – Horse Brains Facebook page

[4] Evans KE, McGreevy, PD., Conformation of the Equine Skull: a Morphometric Study, Anat. Histol. Embryol., 2006, 35(4): 221-7

[5] de Bie H. et al. Brain Development, Intelligence and Cognitive Outcome in Children Born Small for Gestational Age. Horm Res Paediatr 2010, (73)6-14.

[6] Mackes, NK. et al., on behalf of the E. Y. A. F. (2020). Early childhood deprivation is associated with alterations in adult brain structure despite subsequent environmental enrichment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Scientists Are So Dumb” – Hey, It’s Not Them, Could Be You

August 18, 2019 by Jane @ THB 2 Comments

“DUH!!! Scientists are SOOOOO behind the rest of us!”

I read this today and for once, couldn’t just scroll past and forget. Perhaps it’s because it came from an equine professional and, you know, I’d really be hoping for better from someone who partially depends on scientific knowledge for their business.

You all know how it goes. Every so often, a scientific study is published that confirms new findings – this time, about horses’ emotions – and inevitably, the great wise ones on social media drum out the usual statements about how obvious it’s always been to them, blah-di-dah. For the record, if anyone cares, such comments usually make me have two thoughts:

Someone’s climbing high on Mount Stupid (see Dunning Kruger effect, below).
It’s time to unfollow Someone.

The sorry truth is that people who respond in this way are simply putting their own ignorance on display. It’s happening everywhere, of course, but here’s what we see in the equine sector. I’m going to use the May 2018 equine science study on horses reading human facial expressions that’s currently being recirculated (read the journal article here) as illustration.

If you run into an equine science basher, remember:

They may well not have read the information they’re sharing. Often they’re not even sharing the study, but someone else’s post and interpretation of the study findings, which may be misworded. They’ve not read that, either.

They’ve missed the key points. Yes, they are an expert on their own horse (they believe). Did they happen to notice that this study reported that horses could remember their emotions from photographs? Hmm… it’s unlikely.

Plenty of people misinterpret what they’re seeing anyway. In my own area of bodywork, in which I mostly get to meet owners who care and try their best, signs of pain that are obvious to me are frequently missed. I’ll bet every trainer or clinician has an equivalent version.

Many people aren’t self aware enough to understand the effect their own presence is having on their horse. Again, not if what I’ve seen in bodywork sessions is anything to go by (my current clients are lovely, though!).

Like great food, good equine science is rarely fast.

Here are two major points about equine science.

1. Acquiring scientific evidence is NOT the same thing as having an opinion about your own horse.

2. Science is NOT slow in catching up with your own ‘findings’. Even when you are understanding horses correctly, good science with solid evidence takes time.

Good science can’t be rushed.

There are so many things to slow it down.

Just take Animal Ethics Committees (most developed countries have their own versions of these). All animal studies have to go through a vigorous assessment as to any stress the procedure might cause the horses, how the stress will be recognized, how stress can be minimized, etc, etc. This takes a time and I imagine most horse owners wouldn’t want studies happening without it.

Then there’s setting the study up, locating the horses, lining up the facilities, analyzing results, writing it up, and getting it published (it can take over a year before a submitted article actually appears in a journal).

The quality is in the detail

Then there are the variables. Horses are subject to so many different experiences acquired through every possible variation of management practice, handling, training, riding and tack, not to mention associated injury or illness. All these things can influence results and compromise findings, which makes setting up equine studies rather more complicated on the animal side than, say, those involving sheep.

There are a huge number of factors to consider. So for example when setting up a ‘horse recognizing human emotions’ study, it must be absolutely clear that:

The horse isn’t responding to an expectation of feed, rather than the person.
The horse hasn’t had previous experiences that are making it respond in a particular way (such as pain, bad handling, etc).
How are the researchers identifying the process of recognition in the horse? Which expressions, facial and otherwise, are the scientists recording?

This is to vastly over-simplify things, but I hope you get the point.

Big studies, small findings

Invariably, it’s often the case that a study can only provide evidence for a couple of apparently simple points.

Equine science studies aren’t “SOOOOO behind”! The researchers are simply taking time to do it properly.

Science costs money and good science costs more money

Research is expensive. Given how complicated studies can be to plan, set up and complete, finding funding can be a hurdle. It’s not simply of behavioral scientists sitting around wondering what to spend their money on next.

Finding money takes more time and that’s if funders want to support the research in the first place.

Why do people ignore the positives?

The bashing comes, I’m sure, from a place of insecurity. People feel that something they’re holding onto is threatened. There’s also the nature of the equine sector: so many people only feel accomplished when they’re pointing to the lack of knowledge of others – we all know it’s endemic. Unfortunately, their critical (but not analytical) eye takes in all comers, including those whose contribution will help them.

It’s also connected with an anti-science view that often comes from those who feel an empathy with horses. It goes along with a whole load of anti-this and anti-that. It gets tiresome after a while and it’s a shame, because it gets in the way of a lot of good information that’s contributing to our collective knowledge.

Now I do understand that certain scientists can be dismissive of many of the subjective experiences we have with our horses. Not everything can be evidenced, not that that means it doesn’t happen – and some things haven’t been evidenced yet. (The best scientists I’ve met acknowledge this and will say, “we don’t know – yet”.)

I’m a complementary therapist with a recent science qualification, so I certainly have a foot on both sides of this particular line. But I really can’t handle this ‘anti’ response from people who should know better, as it totally throws out the baby with the bathwater.

Shouldn’t we be focusing our critical eye on the horse people who don’t acknowledge the significance of horses’ emotions, rather than those who are providing evidence for them?

Shouldn’t we be saying ‘how wonderful that evidence been found for what I believed all along’? Why bash the scientists? Instead of being contemptuous, shouldn’t we be saying ‘thank goodness, life may gradually improve for all horses as evidence is provided for their sentience?’

Because here’s the thing: equine scientists are horse people. They are horse owners, riders and lovers. They’re not remote observers – they ride amongst us! And they care about horses at least as much as you do.

Not all equine science is good science, I’ll agree, yet I’d say it takes a whole lot more analytical engagement to criticize it than “Duh” (that bugged me, can you tell?).

What do you think?

Proops, L., Grounds, K., Smith, A.V., McComb, K., 2018, Animals Remember Previous Facial Expressions that Specific Humans Have Exhibited, Current Biology, 28 (9), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.03.035

The Crazy Logic of Saddle Fitting That You Probably Haven’t Thought About

August 12, 2019 by Jane @ THB 8 Comments

There’s a basic premise of saddle fitting that hasn’t occurred to a lot of people. It can’t have done, not if the tack they’re riding in is anything to go by.

To start, let’s remind ourselves that the horse’s back wasn’t designed to be sat on and it certainly wasn’t designed for saddles. This isn’t to pursue an argument about what is natural for horses or not. Yes we ride them and it’s not natural, ta-de-da.

The reason for this statement is simply to highlight the fact that inserting a relatively static piece of equipment between two living organisms in motion is, at best, always going to be fraught with complexity.

We have to acknowledge that when it doesn’t work, it’s usually to the horse’s detriment. Yes, sometimes also the rider, but if the rider’s copping it, the horse is usually getting it too.

One of my favourite statements about saddle fitting

It’s possibly a bit odd to have a fave sentence on this subject, but here’s one that leapt out at me a few years back and is still hanging around.

Ken Lyndon-Dykes, Master Saddler expressed this particular concept so succinctly in his book, Practical Saddle Fitting. Enjoy this – it’s a biggie:

“The best designed, most beautifully crafted saddle made specifically to fit an individual horse will not improve the horse’s ability to perform, benefit his welfare or increase his comfort.”

Say what? Do you feel the impact of that? Maybe you knew it already, but it never hurts to have certain truths reflected back at us as a reminder.

Certainly, having used this quote on a presentation slide in my Saddle Fit Essentials for Horse Owners clinics, I’ve found that these words often pull people up short. There’s usually a moment or two when you can almost hear the implications sinking in.

Let’s take that sentence apart a bit.

“The best saddle will not improve the horse’s ability to perform …”

Let’s be clear, this is when compared to how the horse performs when free of its saddle and rider. The horse is always going to move better with no restriction or load on its back.

“…benefit his welfare… “

Again, nope, we’re not improving the horse’s welfare, but minimizing and ideally eliminating the negative impact on the horse’s welfare that comes with restriction or pain due to poor saddle fit.

“… or increase his comfort.”

Same. When did you ever see a horse look more comfortable after you put the saddle on? What we are aiming for is simply neutral, in that the horse is as comfortable with the saddle (and rider) as it is without.

The fact is that saddles are there to assist the rider and beyond that are an exercise in damage limitation to minimize the effect of their own presence.

And that’s it. There’s the crazy logic, right there.

It’s a paradox, the definition of a parodox being “a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true.”

Saddles may not make a horse go better, but the well-fitted saddle definitely minimizes the negative effect that a saddle and rider may have in preventing normal action and, at worse, causing discomfort and pain.

Interesting, isn’t it? Yet once we recognize this fundamental truth, the more likely it is that we’re on the road to making wise and sensible choices that increase comfort for our horses and improve performance as a result.

GA