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Study: Your Horse’s Mood Affects His Way Of Going

A new study shows that observing how a horse acts in his stall could offer clues to how a ride might go: A horse that's angry or unhappy in his stall will most likely carry that negative attitude into the arena.

Lead researcher Alice Ruet used 43 lesson horses to test her theory. The study horses were kept in stalls and turned out for one hour a week in individual paddocks. They were used by advanced riders six hours a week for dressage, eventing or jumping lessons.

The study team watched the stalled horses for six weeks, noting their behavior several times each day. The scientists were specifically looking for clues that the horse was in a negative mental state—that he may be experiencing “compromised welfare” from being in a stall. The behaviors they were looking for included aggression toward people, cribbing or other stereotypies, hypervigilance, or a withdrawn posture, which indicated a depressed state.

The researchers then asked the head instructor three questions about each horse's way of going under saddle, including whether he was anxious or fearful, if he seemed uncomfortable, or if he was unwilling to go forward.

The final phase of the study had one rider who was unfamiliar with the horses ride each horse using the same tack. The rider was equipped with inertial sensors on her head and back. The horse wore a sensor on his girth. The ride was recorded, and an independent assessor noted behaviors that may indicate a negative attitude, like head shaking, tail swishing or bolting, as well as the horse's overall demeanor.

The scientists found a correlation between behavior in the stall and how a horse moved under saddle: Horses that were aggressive to humans while in their stalls had choppier gaits while being ridden. They also found that horses that were withdrawn in their stall were more reluctant to go forward when asked. The scientists conclude that a horse in a poor state of welfare is likely to be more unhappy when being ridden, linking welfare to performance.

Ruet suggests additional studies could be done to investigate whether management changes could influence a horse's mood and under-saddle movement.

More Than Ulcers? Girthiness May Be Coming From More Than One Cause

Even the most pleasant horse may act cranky when his girth is tightened, and it's not because you're telling him he's chubby. Some horses will gnash their teeth, snake their heads, swish their tails and try to move away when their girth is being tightened, telling their owners and riders that something is amiss.

Veterinarians often become involved in the issue when a normally stoic horse becomes opposed to being girthed. Drs. Esther Millares-Ramirez and Sarah Le Jeune completed a retrospective study of 37 horses who had been referred to the University of California-Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital for girth aversion.

The horses in the study were of various breeds and ridden in a range of disciplines. Upon referral, each horse had a physical exam that included recording of vital signs and a musculoskeletal exam that included palpation and flexion tests. The horses worked in straight lines and circled on hard and soft ground and were also lunged. Thirteen horses had a gastroscopy, seven had their saddles examined, and three had abdominal radiographs performed.

Of the 13 horses that were scoped, 12 had gastric ulcers. The horses were prescribed omeprazole and the owners said the girthiness resolved with the ulcer treatment. Ten of the horses had orthopedic issues. All 10 horses became less girthy when their musculoskeletal issues were addressed. Three horses had poorly-fitted saddles; once this was addressed and the horses received chiropractic and acupuncture treatments, the angst at being girthed resolved.

The other study horses with aversions to being girthed had a variety of issues, including ovarian tumor, urinary tract infection, girth mass, sand impaction and more.

The team determined that the primary reasons horses exhibit an unwillingness to be girthed include gastric ulcers, orthopedic issues and poor saddle fit.

Maybe She’s Born With It: Navicular Fractures May Not Be Trauma-Based

Scientists in Belgium and the Netherlands have discovered that abnormalities in the navicular bone that cause lameness may not be related to trauma — some may be genetic. Partitioned navicular bones are often confused with fractures and assumed related to wear or injury.

Drs. Ellen van der Zaag, Erik Weerts, Antoon van den Belt and Willem Back documented three cases of navicular bone partitions whose sections are defined by defects in the bone, covered in smooth cartilage and vary from full separation to shallow indentations. Each was discovered when the lame horse had X-rays taken.

These abnormalities aren't injuries, the researchers note: they are present at birth and could be seen if X-rays were taken before the horse became lame. The researchers believe that these areas are caused by a disturbance in blood vessel arrangement as the bone transforms from cartilage to bone. The partitioning typically develops in two specific areas: one-third of the width of the bone from either end, where blood vessels converge.

The partitions in the bone weaken it. As a horse grows and enters work, these partitions may develop cysts as damaged areas begin to die, making the horse lame. If the condition is found before the horse becomes lame, then corrective trims and shoeing, restricted exercise, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory use may help preserve the horse's soundness.

However, the prognosis for soundness is poor even when these tactics are employed. A neurectomy, where the nerve is surgically severed, isn't recommended as it would accelerate cyst formation and increase fracture risk.

Oops: How Old Is That Injury?

Horses love to find ways to injure themselves and it's not always easy to determine if the lump, bump or scrape is new or old, especially if the horse isn't groomed every day or if he's sporting a long, thick winter coat. When a lump or bump is discovered, a few things can be done to determine if it's fresh and requires a call to the vet or if it's old and just now being noticed.

The feel of a lump can indicate if it's new or old: New injuries are often soft to the touch from fluid that pools in the area. A new injury will often feel hot to the touch. An older injury tends to feel firmer as it's made up of scar tissue or calcification; it will be the same temperature as the surrounding skin.

If the horse reacts to palpation, it's most likely a newer injury. Sensitivity to touch is associated with the same inflammation that causes the soft feel.

A call to the veterinarian may be in order if the lump or bump is new and if the horse is lame. Older injuries that have healed and are nothing to be alarmed about.