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EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION
Equine vet. Educ. (2022) 34 (7) 372-380 doi: 10.1111/eve.13468
Review Article The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram
S. Dyson The Cottage, Market Weston, Diss, UK *Corresponding author email:
sue.dyson@aol.com
Keywords: horse; lameness; canter; behaviour; saddle-fit; rider skill
Summary The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) comprises 24 behaviours, the majority of which are at least 10 times more likely to be seen in lame horses compared with non-lame horses. The observation of ≥8/24 behaviours is likely to reflect the presence of musculoskeletal pain, although some lame horses score <8/24 behaviours. A marked reduction in RHpE scores after resolution of lameness using diagnostic anaesthesia proves a causal relationship between pain and RHpE scores. Horses should be assessed for approximately 10 min in walk, trot (including 10 m diameter circles), canter and transitions. The validity of the RHpE has been verified for use in horses which perform dressage-type movements, and which have been trained to work with the front of the head in a vertical position. It has not, as yet, been used in horses while jumping, racehorses, western performance or endurance horses. The RHpE provides a valuable tool for riders, trainers, veterinarians and other equine professionals to recognise the presence of musculoskeletal pain, even if overt lameness cannot be recognised. Riders with a higher skill- level may improve gait quality, but cannot obscure behavioural signs of pain, although specific behaviours may change. Tight saddle tree points, the rider sitting on the caudal third of the saddle and rider weight may influence RHpE scores. Accurate application of the RHpE requires training and practice. The RHpE is a powerful tool for the assessment of ridden horses and the identification of likely musculoskeletal pain. Such pain merits further investigation and treatment, to improve equine welfare and performance. The RHpE provides an additional means of evaluating the response to diagnostic anaesthesia. It provides a mechanism for client education and a diplomatic way of communicating with clients about equine discomfort related to saddle-fit, rider size, their position in the saddle and ability to ride in balance.
This commissioned article reviews the development of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) and its validation. It describes how and when to use the RHpE and discusses the current evidence about factors other than musculoskeletal pain which may influence RHpE scores.
What is the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram?
An ethogram is a catalogue of behaviours, each with strict definitions (Grier 1984). The RHpE comprises 24 behaviours, the majority of which are at least 10 times more likely to be seen in a lame horse compared with a non-lame horse (Dyson et al. 2018a). The presence of eight or more of these behaviours is likely to reflect the presence of musculoskeletal pain. Different horses react to musculoskeletal pain in a
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variety of ways, therefore the spectrum of behaviours demonstrated does not indicate the specific source(s) of pain, although pilot observations using principal component analysis suggest that clusters of behaviours may occur together (Dyson and Ellis 2022).
Why was the RHpE developed?
There is a high frequency of occurrence of lameness in the ridden sports horse population, which is apparently unrecognised by owners (Greve and Dyson 2014; Dyson and Greve 2016). Abnormalities of canter, for example close spatial and temporal placement of the hindlimbs or the lack of a suspension phase (Barstow and Dyson 2015; Boado et al. 2020; Greve and Dyson 2020), are frequently overlooked. There appears to be an ethos in the horse world for blaming ridden horse performance problems on the horse’s behaviour, the rider’s inadequacies, or faults in training, rather than considering that a problem may reflect musculoskeletal pain. From a welfare perspective, there was a clear need to provide a new tool to facilitate owner recognition of the presence of underlying discomfort. This problem is not unique to the horse and there is an increasing recognition in other species, such as the dog and cat, that alterations in behaviour are often a manifestation of pain (Mills et al. 2020). The majority of veterinarians have received little training
in the recognition of low-grade lameness, the ways in which ridden horses adapt to musculoskeletal pain (Greve and Dyson 2020), and the influence that discomfort can have on ridden horse performance. Some owners who do recognise that their horse may show signs of an underlying pain- related problem have faced frustration, because many veterinarians have shown a lack of ability to recognise ridden horse performance problems, or have received inadequate training for assessment of ridden horse problems. The potentially unnecessary expense of whole- body skeletal scintigraphy, which frequently provides misleading results (Quiney et al. 2018), the conclusion that a problem is solely behavioural, or the advice to ‘ride him through it’, creates distrust in the profession’s ability to provide answers. The use of objective gait analysis in ridden horses remains in its infancy and measurement of gait asymmetry in hand does not necessarily translate to ridden horse performance. Moreover, a horse with either bilateral or multilimb lameness may show no obvious asymmetry (Buchner et al. 1995; Braganc
a et al. 2016; Greve
et al. 2017). In addition, a subjectively non-lame horse, selected based on a comprehensive lameness examination, may exhibit gait asymmetry above the objective threshold defined for lameness (Greve and Dyson 2016). Thus, a tool
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