Helen Jacks-Hewett - McTimoney Animal Chiropractor

07/08/2025

Findings from research on punishment insensitivity in rats can provide a valuable framework for understanding why some horses—often labelled “lazy”—fail to respond to whips and strong leg aids.

In a 2019 study, punishment insensitivity was shown not to result from a reduced capacity to feel pain (aversive insensitivity) or from overwhelming motivation for reward, but rather from a cognitive issue: an impaired ability to detect or learn the contingency between their actions and the punishing consequence.

Translating this to horses, there is mounting evidence and expert opinion indicating that repeated or harsh use of whips and forceful leg aids does not necessarily make “lazy” horses more responsive.

Instead, when horses do not respond, it is often due to either a failure to learn what the punishment is meant to communicate or confusion about which behaviour is being punished.

For example, if the aids are not timed correctly or are applied inconsistently, a horse cannot form a clear mental connection between its own action and the unpleasant stimulus. This mirrors the deficit in contingency detection observed in the rat study.

Overuse of strong aids can cause horses to habituate or become shut down, essentially learning to ignore them as a self-protection against confusing or inescapable signals.

Some horses stop responding to cues not out of stubbornness or high tolerance to discomfort, but because they are no longer able to associate a specific behaviour with a clear outcome. This is consistent with the research paper’s finding that animals may demonstrate punishment insensitivity—not because they feel less, but because they simply cannot link their actions to the consequences.

The paper titled “Punishment insensitivity emerges from impaired contingency detection, not aversion insensitivity or reward dominance,” was published in 2019 in eLife and authored by Philip Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel, Cassandra Ma, Laura A. Bradfield, Simon Killcross, and Gavan P. McNally.

03/08/2025

🦠 STRANGLES 🦠

I have been contacted by many concerned clients and yard owners about the current Strangles outbreak in the region.

So to confirm…

🦠 I have not visited any yards where there is a Strangles outbreak.

🦠 I am not visiting any yards where there is a Strangles outbreak and have absolutely no intention of doing so.

🦠 I already have robust bio security measures in place at all times, these include thorough hand/arm sanitising, disinfecting my kit and boots, and change of scrub tops between yards.

🦠 As ever in the very rare instance I encounter an unexpectedly unwell horse during an appointment I will stop the session and advise a vet visit, then postpone my subsequent appointments to allow me to go home for a deep clean.

This is a situation that works both ways:

🦠 Please cancel your appointment if your horse is showing any signs of being unwell, not just respiratory symptoms but also if they are a bit “off colour” or quieter than usual. In these instances please call your vet.

🦠 Please learn how to take and monitor your horse’s vital signs, including being able to take your horse’s temperature which not many people seem to be able to do! Any alterations in your horse’s vital signs need to be assessed by your vet before I am able to visit.

🦠 Please cancel your appointment if your horse has been in contact with any unwell horses either on your yard or when at other yards, out hacking or at competitions.

🦠 Please do not expect me to come and see a new horse within the first 10 days of arrival and with no quarantine measures in place.

We can all work together in this situation to reduce the risk of disease spread, not only from yard to yard but also to my own horses at home.

🦠 Thank you! 🦠

28/07/2025

"BUT MY HORSE IS WELL CARED FOR…" A LOOK AT EQUESTRIAN ATTITUDES AND WELFARE

A recent study interviewed riders, trainers, and coaches from the UK, Canada, and the US to explore what equestrians think about performance horse welfare — and why some practices that compromise welfare are still defended.

Participants consistently expressed concern for horse welfare — but some also justified harmful practices as necessary for training or competition.

These contradictions showed up in five key themes:

• Conflicting ideas of a 'good life': Equestrians often have strong opinions on what horses deserve, but struggle to align these ideals with the realities of daily training and competition.

• Objectifying the horse: Horses were sometimes described more as tools or athletes than as sentient partners, making it easier to ignore harmful practices.

• Instrumental care: Management often prioritises performance results over emotional or physical well-being — focusing on what the horse can do rather than how they feel. Horses may be immaculately turned out, well fed, and kept sound, but still expected to tolerate uncomfortable or restrictive training without resistance.

• Traditions: Cultural influence and group norms — “this is how it’s always done” — shaped decisions. Many participants admitted that practices learned early in their training persisted over time, even when their awareness of better welfare practices improved.

• Cognitive dissonance: Even when welfare concerns were recognised, participants often downplayed them. They justified or reframed issues to reduce the discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs and behaviours — for example, believing welfare matters but still using harsh bits or pushing horses despite signs of discomfort.

This study highlights how deeply embedded cultural habits and beliefs can block progress, even when riders want to improve welfare for their horses.

It’s yet another reminder that caring for horses means more than physical upkeep. It means reflecting on traditions and being willing to adapt our practices to support not only their physical health but also their emotional and psychological well-being.

Study: Cheung, E., Mills, D., & Ventura, B. A. (2025). “But my horse is well cared for”: A qualitative exploration of cognitive dissonance and enculturation in equestrian attitudes toward performance horses and their welfare.

28/07/2025

Research conducted by Kienapfel and colleagues (2025) set out to investigate the relationship between head–neck position (HNP) and behavioural indicators of welfare in elite dressage horses.

Their goal was to provide an objective, evidence-based threshold at which flexion during riding becomes problematic for equine welfare, and to clarify the respective roles of vertical and poll angles in this context.

Concurrently, the occurrence of conflict behaviours—such as tail swishing, abnormal oral behaviours, headshaking, and gait irregularities—were quantified by trained observers.

The study used linear mixed-effects models to show that greater head–neck flexion—especially more negative vertical and poll angles—is clearly linked to increased conflict behaviour in dressage horses, with other factors like age, breed, or bit type not significant, though stallions did show more conflict than mares or geldings.

The authors identified that a -7.5° vertical angle (nasal plane behind the vertical) was an evidence-based limit: positions less flexed than -4° can be considered safe, -4° to -7.5° require caution, and beyond -7.5° pose a welfare risk.

Notably, more than 90% of horses examined were ridden behind the vertical, with half of these exceeding the -7.5° threshold, despite regulations.

📖: Kienapfel K, Hartmann E, Preiss B, Bachmann I. Head–Neck Positions in Ridden Horses: Defining Degrees of Flexion and Their Impact on Equine Behavior and Welfare. Int J Equine Sci 2025;4(2):107–124

24/07/2025

A new scientific study co-authored by Animalweb’s own Dr David Marlin in conjuction with Anglia Ruskin University students Emily Hopkins and Stacie Whitrod and ARU Writtle Associate Professor of Animal Biomechanics and Sports Medicine and School Research Lead Dr Roberta Blake, has found that tight...

15/07/2025

He wasn’t naughty
He wasn’t an a**hole
He wasn’t “just being difficult”

He was however so skeletally compromised that a comfortable ridden life was never going to happen and time was against him. Not every horse is suitable to be ridden just the same as not every human is compatible with being an athlete. We need to normalise that behaviour is communication. We need to accept that there are many things in a horses body that make riding super hard for them.

This horse went through two breakers before his owner very diligently persisted with positive reinforcement training. He did make excellent progress, that is to be commended! But here’s my issue, positive reinforcement sometimes still masks these issues. It became obvious to his owner that he was becoming more internalised and less happy even in the paddock. Horses will try harder if you ask them nicely and there’s rewards for good behaviour. I’m not saying positive reinforcement is bad, it’s a great tool….im just saying it can mask serious issues. The biggest give away was how seriously assymetric he was. This is something I have felt many times while ridng these types. Asymmetry is normal but riding a horse that has wildly different left and right reins is not normal.

This is so complex on so many levels, so many.

Ever met a horse that was odd from birth? I believe inherited trauma is also a real factor, if you haven’t read the study on mice and how it took many generations to stop passing along, I suggest you do. It’s now well documented in humans too. Link below.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fearful-memories-passed-down/

This guys story is available on patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/collection/1606429in

09/07/2025

Good horse welfare is not only better for horses but safer for riders!

Recent research published in the journal Animal shows a clear link between horse welfare and rider safety.

Horses in facilities with better welfare—characterised by fewer health problems, higher haemoglobin levels, and more positive behaviour towards humans—were associated with the lowest number of rider falls during lessons.

In contrast, horses showing signs of poor welfare, such as chronic pain, apathy, aggression, or anaemia, were associated with more rider accidents.

The study also found that positive, attentive human-horse interactions during care and riding improved welfare, while rushed or minimal interaction worsened it.

Management practices like the frequency of turnout or the teaching strategies employed by riding instructors—were also found to be highly influential.

For example, the facility with the best welfare outcomes provided more frequent turnout and riding instruction that emphasised horse comfort rather than strict control. This approach not only improved horse welfare but also resulted in safer riding environments and a reduced risk of accidents.

This study, though modest in scale, clearly demonstrates that investing in horse welfare brings tangible benefits beyond simply having healthier, happier animals.

Facilities that make even small improvements in management—such as increasing turnout and providing more attentive care—see direct enhancements in horse welfare, which in turn results in fewer rider accidents during lessons and lowers the risk of costly legal claims for riding centres.

Ultimately, prioritising horse welfare is both an ethical responsibility and a sound, practical strategy for creating safer, more sustainable riding operations.

Full Study: L. Gueguen, R. Palme, P. Jego, S. Henry, M. Hausberger,
Differences between facilities in horse welfare profiles: slight differences in management/working conditions may be enough,
animal, Volume 19, Issue 6, 2025

08/07/2025

08/07/2025

03/07/2025

Great video! I’m always encouraging clients to weigh themselves AND their tack to get an accurate figure of how much weight they are expecting their horse to carry. Saddles can be very heavy! This is something we all should do before getting on our horses 🐎