Your horse is tied outside the stable, snoozing gently, when the breeze picks up the plastic bag that someone has carelessly left outside the stable two doors down.  It blows towards your horse’s face, and startled, he understandably pulls back.  Once he feels the pressure of the tie, he starts to panic, snaking his neck left and right in an attempt to break the connection.  He’s tied up to baler twine as recommended, but it’s a new piece, and it’s very strong.  Everything is too tight to untie, and before you can grab a knife to cut the string, the clip on the rope has snapped and he’s free.  He immediately stands still, looking shocked.  You grab another rope, tie him up again, and carry on.  The next day you notice he’s a bit sensitive when you put the bridle on, but in his work everything seems fine.

I put a poll on Facebook recently asking people whether they would call the physio if their horse pulled back when tied up (https://www.facebook.com/thehorsephysio/posts/846117022259229).  The results were split almost 50/50, which I find really interesting and quite encouraging.

When a horse pulls back enough to break the rope, there is the potential for musculoskeletal trauma to the poll, which is the junction between the neck and the skull.  Painful bruising can cause the horse to change his behaviour to avoid the pain, and the most common initial symptom would be sensitivity to touch around the poll and / or ears, which often shows as sensitivity to bridling or to putting the headcollar on.  A horse who is already sore through his poll is more likely to pull back when tied up.  If the trauma is severe or repeated, it can lead to compensatory patterns of movement elsewhere in the body, which can lead to further discomfort, and ultimately could affect the horse’s performance or soundness.

You can reduce the risk of this type of injury by using quick break ties, a quick release rope, or cutting through some of the strands of the new baler twine so it’s not quite so strong.  If your horse continually pulls back, consider physical therapy (for example, a practitioner from www.acpat.org orwww.rampregister.org) to check whether there are any musculoskeletal concerns that could be contributing to the problem.  You could also get help with your horses behaviour from an Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Trainer (www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk).

If your horse pulls back when tied up, it’s not always essential to call the physio.  Some horses get away with it, and some don’t.  But if the pull back is severe, if there are any signs of pain or changes in behaviour, or if it’s a repeated behaviour, then I highly recommend getting him checked out.

Sue Palmer MCSP (www.thehorsephysio.co.uk) is an ACPAT and RAMP registered Chartered Physiotherapist, and author of ‘Horse Massage for Horse Owners’ and ‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?’ (available from www.ethicalhorseproducts.co.uk).