The Horse Physio

31/07/2026

30/07/2026

If your horse stands in halt with his hind legs wide apart, it could be his way of saying his back hurts.

“A heartwarming book full of timely reminders.”

These words come from Drawn to Horses — a mother-and-daughter book illustrated by my mum, Sarah Brown.

Available here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drawn-Horses-Mothers-Daughters-Reflections/dp/1919214712

30/07/2026

The Ridden Horse Performance Checklist
20: Stumbles or trips repeatedly; repeated bilateral hindlimb toe drag

Research shows that if 8 or more of this list of 24 ridden behaviours are shown, it’s highly likely that the horse is in musculoskeletal pain.
Find out more on the Harmonious Horsemanship website.
The Ridden Horse Performance Checklist is adapted from:
Dyson, Sue & Berger, Jeannine & Ellis, Andrea & Mullard, Jessica. (2017). Development of an ethogram for a pain scoring system in ridden horses and its application to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2017.10.008

Lazy, clumsy, or trying to cope?
If your horse stumbles, trips, or drags their hind toes repeatedly, it’s common to blame laziness, lack of balance, or even the surface. But repeated tripping and toe dragging during ridden work are often signs of something else entirely—pain.
This is one of the 24 behaviours in the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE), developed through peer-reviewed research to help identify musculoskeletal discomfort. Your horse might not be switched off—they might be trying their best to keep going despite how they feel.
In Harmonious Horsemanship, co-authored with Dr Sue Dyson, we show you how to recognise these signs, so you can respond with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

🌿 Sign up to my newsletter for trusted insights, practical tools, and 20% off the book.
👉 www.thehorsephysio.co.uk/newsletter



Image shared with thanks to Train with Trust
https://www.facebook.com/trainwithtrust
https://trainwithtrust.com

30/07/2026

Is your horse comfortable behind?

It’s a question that doesn’t always have an obvious answer.

Often, what we notice first isn’t lameness…
It’s something more subtle.

A slight unevenness.
A hesitation.
A feeling that something isn’t quite as easy as it once was.

And this is where observation becomes so valuable.

Not to diagnose —
but to begin to understand what your horse may be communicating.

If you’re curious, here are three simple things you might notice:

1️⃣ From behind — does one side of the hindquarters rise or drop differently to the other?

2️⃣ When turning — does each hind leg step under with the same ease and confidence?

3️⃣ When picking up the feet — does one feel different? Heavier, or more reactive?

On their own, these don’t give you an answer.

But they can be the beginning of a pattern.

And patterns are often where understanding starts.

In this photo, I’ve used kinesiology tape after treatment to support comfort and movement — but the most important step always comes before that:

Noticing.

If you’re not quite sure what you’re seeing, this may be a helpful place to start:

https://mailchi.mp/thehorsephysio/is-your-horse-in-pain

30/07/2026

From ‘naughty’ to understood.
Many so-called ‘problem horses’ are actually in pain. Learn how to recognise discomfort with Harmonious Horsemanship and transform your partnership. 🐴✨
🔗 Order now! Sign up for The Horse Physio newsletter for the link and a 20% discount - link in bio!

30/07/2026

One of the things I might hear is:

“I didn’t realise how different his left side feels.”

That’s what happens when you slow down.

You begin to notice.

Differences between sides.
Changes over time.
Things that weren’t obvious before.

Because you can’t notice
what you never pause to feel.

And often, that’s where understanding begins.

Not fixing.
Not diagnosing.
Just awareness.

If that resonates, you can start here:

https://mailchi.mp/thehorsephysio/listening-through-your-hands

30/07/2026

Today I’m grateful for family, teaching, and learning. Lily is being the best big surrogate sister I could possibly hope for forNugget.

What are you grateful for today?

30/07/2026

Sometimes a horse doesn’t look obviously lame… and yet still doesn’t feel quite right.

Often, what we notice first are subtle changes:

reduced willingness

canter difficulties

shortened steps

saddle slip

changes in behaviour or performance

I’ve shared a really valuable guest article from orthopaedic consultant Sue Dyson on horse lameness recognition.

The free resource linked at the end of the article is excellent too.

https://www.thehorsephysio.co.uk/pages/blog?p=horse-lameness-recognition