09/07/2025
Could not agree more!
While it is true that some behavior can be created and learned from pain, pain is still the root cause. Quite a few issues can go undiagnosed unless using specific imaging techniques, such as CT or bone scans. It is not normal for a horse to be girthy, not like being groomed, etc.
Always listen to your horse!
🤷♀️ Every time I see the phrase “pain has been ruled out” in reference to a horse and their behaviour, it really makes me stop and think!
As someone who lives with chronic pain myself, I honestly know first hand that even after endless tests, scans and investigations through the NHS, my aches, inflammation and those silent pains often remain unexplained. Just because nothing shows up on a scan doesn’t mean I’m pain free.
So why should it be any different for our horses? 🐎
Pain doesn’t always fit neatly into a diagnostic box. It shifts, it hides, it changes day to day. One moment it’s tolerable, the next it’s overwhelming. Our horses, just like us, can carry discomfort that isn’t always obvious or easily “ruled out.”
Every day is a new day. Every day brings a new feeling. And sometimes, the kindest thing we can do is to acknowledge that, rather than assuming pain is off the table 🙏
Picture: My ex-racehorse Minty who I have to listen to daily! His needs change sometimes on a weekly or even daily basis, I am learning to hear what he tells me more each day ❤️
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