04/08/2026
Back to Basics
The Forgotten Art of Observation
Learning to Recognise Subtle Changes Before They Become Injuries
By Donna Cooksey Equine & Human Massage Practitioner
"listen to your horse."
This is a saying many experienced horsemen have lived by for generations, and one that still holds true today.
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Modern veterinary medicine has given us incredible diagnostic tools. We have MRI, CT, ultrasound, nerve blocks, gait analysis and countless advances that have transformed equine healthcare. Yet despite these developments, one of the most valuable diagnostic tools remains something that costs nothing at all, careful observation.
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Long before a horse becomes obviously lame or develops a significant injury, it often begins to change in subtle ways. Those changes can be so gradual that owners simply adapt to them without realising anything is wrong.
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Perhaps your horse suddenly becomes harder to catch. Maybe it starts standing differently in the stable. It becomes reluctant to pick up one canter lead, struggles to bend on one rein, or no longer enjoys being groomed over certain areas. None of these signs necessarily indicate a serious problem in isolation, but together they can paint an important picture.
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Learning to recognise these early changes allows intervention before small compensations become larger musculoskeletal issues.
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Observation Begins Before You Touch the Horse.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is beginning their assessment only once their hands are on the horse.
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In reality, assessment starts from the moment you first see them.
Watch how they stand.
Do they consistently rest the same hind leg?
Are they loading one forelimb more heavily than the other?
Does one shoulder appear more developed?
Is one hip higher?
Is the neck carried straight, or does it consistently drift to one side?
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These observations provide valuable information before a single muscle is palpated.
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Posture is often the body's way of adapting to discomfort somewhere else.
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Behaviour Is Often the First Indicator.
▪︎ Owners frequently describe behavioural changes before they notice physical ones.
▪︎ A normally friendly horse may become grumpy during grooming.
▪︎ A horse that has always stood quietly for mounting may suddenly become restless.
▪︎ Some begin swishing their tails more frequently.
▪︎ Others pin their ears when the girth is tightened.
These behaviours are often dismissed as naughtiness or attitude.
In reality, they may represent the horse's earliest attempt to communicate discomfort.
As prey animals, horses naturally hide pain. Showing weakness in the wild could make them vulnerable, so many continue working despite developing muscular tension or biomechanical dysfunction.
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By the time obvious lameness develops, the body has often been compensating for some time.
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Watching Movement
You don't need sophisticated technology to notice many early changes.
Watch your horse walking away from you.
▪︎ Does one hind limb track differently?
▪︎ Is one step consistently shorter?
▪︎ Does the pelvis remain level?
▪︎ Watch them turning.
▪︎ Do they swing wide in one direction?
▪︎ Do they hesitate when stepping underneath themselves?
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Observe transitions.
▪︎ Do they lift into canter easily on both reins?
▪︎ Can they maintain rhythm?
▪︎ Does the head lift during transitions?
Small inconsistencies repeated over time often become clinically
significant.
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The Importance of Symmetry
Perfect symmetry doesn't exist.
Just like people, horses have natural sidedness.
However, significant or increasing asymmetry deserves attention.
▪︎ Muscles should develop evenly.
▪︎ Hooves should wear relatively evenly.
▪︎ Saddle sweat patterns should remain reasonably symmetrical.
▪︎ Uneven muscle development may indicate altered loading patterns.
Over weeks or months these compensations can increase strain elsewhere in the musculoskeletal system.
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Everyday Clues Owners Often Miss
Some of the earliest warning signs are remarkably subtle.
You may notice:
▪︎ Difficulty picking up one canter lead.
▪︎ Reduced willingness to work forwards.
▪︎ Shorter stride length.
▪︎ Increased stumbling.
▪︎ Resistance during lateral work.
▪︎ Changes in posture while grazing.
▪︎ Altered tail carriage.
▪︎ Difficulty standing square.
▪︎ Changes in facial expression.
▪︎ Reduced enthusiasm during work.
None of these automatically indicate injury.
However, they all deserve consideration within the horse's overall picture.
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Looking Beyond One Body Part
One of the greatest mistakes in equine care is focusing only on where symptoms appear.
▪︎ Pain in the back may originate elsewhere.
▪︎ Neck tension may develop because the hindquarters are compensating.
▪︎ Poll restriction may influence the entire topline.
▪︎ Hoof imbalance can alter loading throughout the limb and into the shoulder and pelvis.
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The body functions as one connected system.
Treating only the area that appears uncomfortable without understanding why it became overloaded may provide temporary relief but fail to address the underlying cause.
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Management Matters
Observation should extend beyond the horse itself.
▪︎ Has turnout changed?
▪︎ Has the ground become unusually hard?
▪︎ Has work intensity increased?
▪︎ Has a new saddle been introduced?
▪︎ Has the farriery schedule altered?
▪︎ Has the horse slipped recently?
Small environmental changes often explain changes within the musculoskeletal system.
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Good observation considers the whole picture, not simply the horse in isolation.
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Say a horse was presented for routine maintenance rather than because of overt lameness. The owner had simply noticed that he had become slightly reluctant to bend on one rein and felt less supple than usual.
The Hands-on musculoskeletal assessment identifies increased muscular tension through the poll, lower brachiocephalicus, pectoral region and gluteal musculature. Mild thoracolumbar discomfort being also evident prior to abdominal mobilisation exercises.
Although the horse remains sound, these subtle restrictions have begun to influence comfort and movement quality.
Following soft tissue therapy, mobilisation techniques and a tailored management plan, the horse demonstrates improved flexibility and relaxation. Early intervention allowes the muscular compensations to be addressed before they progressed into more significant dysfunction.
This highlights the value of recognising small changes before they become larger clinical problems.
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Observation is not simply about looking.
It is about noticing.
The best horsemen are rarely those with the most equipment. They are often those who quietly recognise that something has changed before anyone else does.
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A horse doesn't suddenly wake up with years of compensation.
Those changes develop gradually.
The earlier we recognise them, the greater our opportunity to support comfort, performance and long-term musculoskeletal health.
Sometimes the greatest skill isn't knowing how to treat a problem.
It's recognising the first signs that one is developing.
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Observe your horse every day, even when they appear sound.
Behavioural changes are often early indicators of discomfort.
Small movement changes deserve attention before they become significant.
Always assess the whole horse rather than focusing on one painful area.
Early observation and appropriate intervention can help reduce the risk of developing larger musculoskeletal problems.
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Donna cooksey equine and Human Therapy
