Do you want to make a difference to horses throughout the world? Would you like to help owners and riders who are struggling? No horse wakes up in the morning and thinks “Today I’m going to be naughty. Today I’m going to be deliberately difficult.” What we see as ‘problem behaviour’ is the horse’s way of asking for help. I’d like to lead a conversation around pain in horses, and to search for the proof that pain affects performance.

If you’re struggling to understand how pain affects our horses, how to explain this to others, or even how to persuade people that pain does affect horses, then I’m with you, and there are many others in the same boat. There’s a saying that ‘many roads lead to Rome’, and no matter which road you’re taking towards improving the welfare of the horse, you can be part of this conversation. I want to harness the power of numbers to raise awareness, in a way that no one individual can do on their own, of the fact that horses can only communicate pain or discomfort through their behaviour or performance, and that as owners, we can learn to recognise pain, and to find the right help for our horses.

There are sore horses in every walk of life, from happy hacker to Olympic eventer, and their language is the same, no matter what their ‘job’ is. Every horse owner I’ve ever met wants the best for their horse, whether that’s to enhance his life as a ‘field ornament’, or to compete successfully in 160km endurance rides.

I have chosen Patreon to begin this discussion because I want a safe place to be myself, to share my thoughts, and to learn from others. Social media is no longer a safe place to do this as openly as I would like to, and my thinking is that because you choose to sign up to this page, we are all coming from the same place of wanting to share our knowledge and experience for the good of the horse. I’m not sure where this conversation will go, what it will lead to, but as the saying goes, ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’.

In 1986, Zimmerman described pain in animals as “an aversive sensory experience caused by actual or potential injury that elicits protective motor and vegetative reactions, results in learned avoidance and may modify species-specific behaviour, including social behaviour.” It is clear to me, and to many others, that horses modify their behaviour (and their performance) in response to pain. Yet on a day to day basis working as an ACPAT and RAMP registered Chartered Physiotherapist, I see examples of this behaviour modification being ignored or misunderstood, and this pains me. My other qualifications as a BHSAI (Stage 3 Coach In Complete Horsemanship) and Equine Behavioural Consultant (Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Trainer) mean I’m ideally qualified to drive this discussion, and my passion for the subject brings me here.

I have a dream that one day a sore horse’s plea for help will be listened to, understood, and acted upon.

I have a dream that one day, people will ask the right questions and search for the right answers, rather than try to extinguish a behaviour with force or violence.

I have a dream that one day, horse and rider will work together in harmony to overcome difficulties, rather than fighting each other.

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a network of people who share these dreams, and have similar dreams of their own. The seeds of change have been planted, and they are growing throughout the world. To continue to grow, these seeds need ongoing care and attention. For these dreams to become reality, our horses need you and I to play an active part in the revolution. We must share our passion, our knowledge, our ideas and our experiences, for the love of the horse.

I see sore horses every day, and am extremely privileged to be in a position to help them directly, but to reach more horses I need your help. That is why I have set up this page, in the belief that our shared compassion can create a better world for the horse. To lead change, you need to be the change, and our horses are reliant on us to step up to the challenge.

Above is the information on the opening page of my new project,www.patreon.com/thehorsephysio.  Sign up from just $1 per month to learn while I learn, as I share my knowledge on the research exclusively with my Patrons.

P.s. Please note that the amount is in American dollars because this is an American site.  I picked an American site because there isn’t the equivalent English site yet.  There are no extra bank charges for converting to English pounds, but the amount you pay will vary slightly each month depending on the exchange rate.  For example, if you pledge $1 per month, you will pay 76p this month, but next month it might be 74p or 78p.  Payment comes out on the 1st of each month.  I know this partly because it’s what Patreon say, and partly because I am already a Patron of The Horse’s Back, so I see my payment of $5 go out of PayPal on the 1st of each month.  I have given this information in response to initial concerns from a couple of people, please contact me directly if you have any other concerns.  Thanks :-)