How do I know if my ridden horse is in pain?

Introducing the illustrated ridden horse ethogram! Click on the link below to access the full ethogram:

The SRT has produced this easy to use, illustrated version of the ridden horse ethogram to provide a simple and informative guide. Every horse owner, rider, coach, saddle fitter and professional practitioner can now use the guide to quickly and confidently identify signs of pain or discomfort in the ridden horse. 

The illustrated ethogram gives clear examples of the 24 behaviours that scientific research has identified as most likely to be present in ridden horses that are experiencing pain. The latest evidence has shown that a horse showing 8 or more of these behaviours is highly likely to have musculoskeletal pain.

The ridden horse ethogram is now an essential part of everyone’s toolkit to help improve ridden horse welfare and performance. Use of the ethogram will help to identify potential problems early, improving career longevity and reducing wastage in the sports horse population. 

Can you help us to spread the word and reach all horse owners who may not be aware of the signs of pain in the ridden horse, or are unsure if their horse is in discomfort? Please help us to share this new information as widely as possible and print this illustrated ethogram to display in your tack room or yard noticeboard and post to all your social media platforms. Thank you!

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