06/28/2025
If my human patients couldn’t speak, they would be labeled as “difficult.”
This week, I had a day where all four human patients came in — each in acute pain.
* One had a previously herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, and facet joint arthritis—presenting with radiating lower back pain and numbness in both feet
* Another came in with acute sinusitis—reporting a migraine-like headache and sharp neck pain
* The third had a gym injury—a shoulder that couldn’t tolerate lifting or reaching
* And the last was recovering from three recent dental surgeries—experiencing sharp pain with neck rotation and jaw movement.
You know how I knew where to start?
Because they told me. Because I could ask the right questions. Because they could answer.
Together, we narrowed down which nerve roots were compressed, which cranial bones were impacted, which parts of the shoulder capsule were injured, and which jaw movements were triggering the neck pain.
They got relief because I believed them. Because they could communicate. And because I could do what I do best: assess, identify, and treat the actual cause.
And it reminded me—how many of our horses would be diagnosed with a “behavioural issue” instead?
Each case was complex. But each person could tell me what hurt. They could answer detailed questions, follow instructions, and guide me toward the root of their pain.
That’s what made effective treatment possible. That’s why they walked away with relief and a clear plan forward.
This is the power of two-way communication—and it’s what many horses are missing.
Most horses in pain can’t explain the exact location, nature, or trigger. And because of that, their pain is often misread as disobedience or attitude.
But pain isn’t a behaviour problem. It’s a physiological one.
I don’t treat behaviour. I assess structure, function, and compensation patterns—whether the patient can speak or not.
When behaviour doesn’t match expectation, it’s my job to investigate why.
That’s the difference between symptom management and meaningful change.
