Pain management is a high priority for veterinarians caring for their equine patients. Your veterinarian can diagnose the cause of your horse’s pain and help treat it.
Women riding her horse at a canter
Changes in your horse's behavior and activity level are the best indicators of pain.
© 2016 by Alexia Khruscheva New window.
Some signs of pain are obvious, such as vigorous rolling and kicking at the belly indicative of colic, but other signs of pain are more subtle.
The Oregon Veterinary Association suggests that horse owners "Watch for changes in your horse's activity level and behavior as these are the best indicators of pain".
Supplementary Item 1: A check sheet for practical day to day application of the Ridden Horse Pain
Behaviour
1. Repeated changes of head position (up/down), not in rhythm with the trot 2. Head tilted or tilting repeatedly3. Head in front of vertical (>30⁰) for ≥10 s
4. Head behind vertical (>10⁰) for ≥10 s
5. Head position changes regularly, tossed or twisted from side to side, corrected constantly
6. Ears rotated back behind vertical or flat (both orone only) ≥5 s; repeatedly lay flat
7. Eye lids closed or half closed for 2-5 s; frequent blinking
8. Sclera exposed repeatedly
9. Intense stare (glazed expression, ‘zoned out’) for ≥5 s
10. Mouth opening ± shutting repeatedly withseparation of teeth, for ≥10 s
11. Tongue exposed, protruding or hanging out, and/or moving in and out repeatedly
12. Bit pulled through the mouth on one side (left or right), repeatedly
13. Tail clamped tightly to middle or held to one side
14. Tail swishing large movements: repeatedly up and down/side to side/ circular; repeatedly duringtransitions
15. A rushed gait (frequency of trot steps > 40/15 s); irregular rhythm in trot or canter; repeated changes of speed in trot or canter
16. Gait too slow (frequency of trot steps <35/15 s); passage-like trot
17. Hindlimbs do not follow tracks of forelimbs but repeatedly deviated to left or right; on 3 tracks in trotor canter
18. Canter repeated leg changes in front and/orbehind; repeated strike off on wrong leg; disunited
19. Spontaneous changes of gait (e.g. breaks fromcanter to trot, or trot to canter)
20. Stumbles or trips more than once; repeatedbilateral hindlimb toe drag
21. Sudden change of direction, against rider’s cues; spooking
22. Reluctance to move forwards (has to be kicked ± verbal encouragement), stops spontaneously
23. Rearing (both forelimbs off the ground)
24. Bucking or kicking backwards (one or both hindlimbs
How Veterinarians Alleviate Pain in Horses
After a thorough examination, veterinarians often treat the illness or injury that is causing pain by prescribing pain medication appropriate for horses. At times acupuncture maybe used to help allieviate pain. If the pain is caused by an injury to a limb, physical therapy is sometimes used to help strengthen the limb and help it heal.
Press release by Equine Guelph based on article from American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) with minor editing by EquiMed.