THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK❤ I think it's so extremely painful for equestrians to admit how much pain we put our horses through in our quest for personal glory and status. I think that's why these deep conversations and corrections are not happening In the equestrian world. Humans that love horses are struggling to admit how wrong we've been in our treatment of horses. Maybe we should start listening to them more, and put our needs aside for awhile. We need to relook our idea of horse connection, training, tact, stabling....everything. Everything needs a rethink with more consciousness and more awareness of their needs.

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Thanks for this comment.

Thank you. I bet you are a great MD.

👍👍👍

Brilliantly said! Thank you for saying this! 💜

♥️

Yes. Almost every issue I’ve found out was some pain they had been trying to tell me…:(

I feel your pain, I'm so so sorry you had to endure that. It wasn't your fault. I'm sure you did everything you could at the time. I went through the same nightmare with my sweet gentle giant. When I bought him he was this huge, gorgeous amazing FEI dressage star, a 10 year old Danish Warmblood at 17,2 and made chins drop where ever he went, Mr. Fancy Pants. I was SO PROUD!!! And he was the kindest , most loveable big baby I just couldn't spoil and love love enough!! We were inseparable! And riding him was an honour. But less than a year later he started having strange issues with basic things like picking up the right lead canter and suddenly rearing which made no sense, he was normally so well behaved. He was such a mommy pleaser though, he pushed on, most likely in constant pain but I had the vet run every test possible and he thought I was nuts and blamed my riding for the issues...... that was very annoying. I knew he was in pain, I could literally feel it. And then he just started to fall apart, new issues popped up everywhere and sadly....after being told for months it was all my fault..... the vet discovered he had a degenerative bone disease....everywhere. I was shattered. And oddly, I too was in constant pain which I tried to ignore but what was so bizarre was, I was feeling pain where he was feeling it and could tell the vet where the issue was which my vet had never seen, he thought I was nuts at first but then realized I was right. And oddly where ever I felt this pain, the vet was finding issues he never would have found normally, right down to the exact vertebrae in his neck and back and even an ulcer due to stabbing pain in my stomach. It was so so sad, we both went steadily down hill together. We tried everything until it was clear it was just not fair to him and he had to be retired at 11 years old and I was soon after diagnosed with a rare disease in my bone marrow that I was told was terminal. I made arrangements for him to retire at a wonderful facility where he would be spoiled rotten and could just be a horse and live out his life in peace but saying good bye killed me. And I began horrible treatments and went down hill from there to the point of being stuck in bed for long periods of time. He was my soul mate, I had only bonded that strongly with one other horse remotely that close back in my junior jumper days who I lost tragically.... and I swore he was the same soul who had come back to me, as weird as that sounds. I spent nearly every day at the barn, even on his days off, just to hanging out treating him like a king and he and I were so connected, I hated to leave him. After he left, I was in a deep state of mourning and felt horrific guilt that he had been in so much pain but because he wanted to make me happy he performed beautifully for a year when we now know he had most likely been in pain for years and the prior owner, a professional most likely knew and concealed it and most likely had pushed him way to fast, way too young as his Grand Prix prospect. Poor baby. And he showed signs of physical abuse too. He was such a sweet boy who deserved so much better. I got notified when he passed away at 21 and was destroyed all over again. Had I been healthier, I would have kept him closer and cared for him but my prognosis at the time was so grim and I was unable to care for myself. I haven't been able to ride again since, due to my physical issues but more-so because emotionally I just can't..... I think about him almost daily and dream about a very different outcome for us, a much happier one. Sorry for my ramble, your comment struck a nerve, Much love to you xxxx Here is a video I made about our journey..... kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rc58mbGG2smZlXk.html

So sorry your baby was hurting.

I hear you!!! (((Hugs)))

THANK YOU soooooo Much! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FULL OF GREAT MEDICAL INFORMATION 🤩

Go easy on yourself, your intentions are good and I’m sure your horse knows that.

I am very touched by your comment. I am sure your horse will thank you for your love and understanding.

I am crying too. Galena is a lucky girl to have such a caring owner.

You weren't the only one who cried. Galena is lucky she has a very caring owner.

Dreams can be re-aligned. But we only have one life with our horses. I'm so glad she's trying to help her horse. ❤️

This is spot on!

I agree with much of what you are saying. But this is Ms Dyson's area of expertise, and if more horse people could recognize signs of pain in the horse for what they TRULY are, and not just dismiss it with 'oh they always do that', it can only benefit the horses in the long run. As she mentioned in the video, the horse world is slow to change. Maybe this will help start some folks in the right direction. :)

Humans normalize injections to continue to perform in their own bodies so - crazy as it sounds- it can’t really b a surprise that that’s accepted for animals. I do think the owner was just coming to grips w reality and grasping at straws bc acceptance is a process. Likewise, I think the horse world is just starting to recognize how much damage horses r dealing w and the next phase is prevention 🤞🙏

@@LeslieKazadi yup I know that, the difference is that humans accept to ruin their own health and bodies for sport achievements and that is what they give consent to. Horses don't have a choice, they are being ruined for humans sake - and that is simply not ethical :(

@@terryst9835 yes absolutely, my point was that - pain is just a tip of a mountain. We need to open a discussion about "what are causes of all of this". The horse world changes very slow... We still have alive ideas from middle ages. Twenty years ago when I talked about some of those behavioural signs as an "underlying problem" not as "misbehaviour" I was laughed on and being called oversensitive. Today I am glad there are finally professionals studying that subject - I just hope to see faster a bigger discussion about the real causes of all of that damage and pain.

agree.

If it’s necessary for the horse’s well being, I think it’s a good thing. But if you’re treating a horse just because you want them to preform, that’s messed up.

If young human athletes were given “routine joint injections”, it would be considered abuse, potentially criminal. One injection might be useful to kickstart an adaptive process… but more than one should throw up a million red flags that we’re covering symptoms without ever helping the horse recover healthy movement.

Seriously. If it's a steroid injection, that can create long term damage in ligaments. :(

Meds are given to horses "routinely" to keep them performing at a certain level. It's only routine to keep them going.

Thank you for making these important points. I was surprised that they didn't look into those. Dr. Cook says: “From research completed since then [1997], I now list over two hundred negative behaviours and forty diseases [resulting from the use of a bit]. I kick myself for not having recognized sooner that the bit causes so much mayhem. Bronze age man made a mistake putting a piece of metal in a horse’s mouth.”

@@marindahappypets while I do personally like bitless riding, Doctor Cook really isn’t a good source. He sells a bitless bridle which can lead to his research being biased. I just think a lot of people use his study as a source to prove everyone who uses a bit is bad. This is not meant to be rude :)

@@Super-es7xp Didn't consider your reply rude at all! 😊 I have seen very similar sentiments expressed regarding Dr Cook. I do wonder, though. He has been researching the topic since 1997. When did he start selling bitless bridles? AFTER he concluded bits are bad for horses, or before? It seems a logical progression to me, if one figures out that bits are detrimental, to go ahead and develop a solution, i.e. a bitless bridle. 👍

@@Super-es7xp if you knew anything about Bob Cook, you'd know that this is something used to try to distract from his research. The bitless bridle was *because* of what he discovered, and he currently gains nothing from the sale of the bridle but continues to push constantly for improvements in equine welfare, even in his 80s. He's a remarkable man.

@@Super-es7xp He did the study before he chose to ride bitless. So really, he just makes profit off his research. At the same time people who swear by bits will link stuff from veterinarians who developed bits that actually use their Dr status to say it's ok and it's better when it's just as bad if not worse than some other bits.

My older mare would be cranky some days & my dad & I decided it must be arthritis.. One day my neighbor "rode" his donkey to my house & my horse was terrified of the donkey.. I called the lady I bought my mare from & she said my horse had come from Wyoming in a huge truck w/donkey's & mules that had kicked her much of the way to the East Coast..My vet said she probably had mental & physical issues from that ordeal.. Today she would've benefited from massage & chiropractic therapy.. Back in the 70's probably only racehorses had those treatments.

Most people don’t what to hear that their horse is unable to continue performing. They’ll keep asking “well what level can they still perform at?” Or “Well, they really like doing this.” The owner will find any excuse to keep the horse going instead of retiring it and just enjoying the horse for what it is.

@@kativasimonetta9069 Yeah they want horses for what the horses can help them achieve rather than actually enjoying and being with the horse as a partner. I think as owners we all go in with black beauty expectations and find out it's a hell of a lot of work.

@@kativasimonetta9069 the very term, what do you want to 'use' them for always sends shivers down my spine.. they were never ours to 'use' in the 1st place..

I absolutely agree with you. Some people push their horses too much. Over time, jumping will cause small damage. That damage builds up and turns into arthritis or other degenerative conditions.

Thank you! This really needs to be said more often, thanks for sharing your word on this topic.

They are prey animals, so they don't show pain if they can help it.

I agree, it's not pleasant for them yet so many horse people do it! Urgh

I absolutely agree. It’s time all horse owners realize that horses, who have nerve endings so sensitive it causes shivering when a fly lands on their body … feel slaps like our bodies feel slaps. It’s aggressive and painful. STOP this habit, people! Horses respond to a stroking, loving touch or a light scratching, as a connecting reward. Watch how horses touch and communicate among themselves, and observe how your horse reacts when you are gentle, and touch with intentional love, instead of hitting them.

Well said!

Thank you Bri, for being so sensitive and astute. You are right. Courage is the perfect word to describe how hard it is to be super honest and put yourself out into the world for the good of all horses.

My horse is a Standardbred who raced as a trotter until he was eight. I found this video really interesting because suspensory ligament issues retired him. I got him (at a "just to make sure you're not from the meat man" price) when he'd failed in a proposed post-racing career as a beach trek horse. He just couldn't handle other horses around him, which says nothing good about his racing days. The other thing he can't do is jump. When I got him you literally couldn't walk him over a stick on the ground. Now he'll pop low cross-poles at a trot, but that's as much as I'll ever ask. Luckily I'm a DQ anyway, and a little bit of strength work over cavaletti is much more our style. I have no proof, but I know his racing owner used to ride him and I suspect that she may have tried a little jumping with him while his legs still hurt, even though he was assessed as sound. These days the pain is entirely mental - remembered and associative - but I'm never pushing it. From me he gets every luxury - good farriery, regular body-work, properly fitted tack (including bridle), twenty-four hour turnout and, importantly, regular riding lessons for me - and he's so much more comfortable physically and mentally than he was when I got him five years ago. This is only because, influenced by people like Sue Dyson, I've always taken resistance on his part to indicate a pain problem that needs fixing, not an attitude problem on his part.

@@anne-mariecass7085 sounds good, and I thank you for taking time with this one. May I make a couple of reading suggestions that I think would be helpful? One, find either an older or newer edition of "Lessons in Lightness" by the late Mark Russell. One of the first lessons Mark taught a horse was relaxation before starting a lesson; many, many Standardbreds aren't taught relaxation at all, and this is the source of many of their physical and mental resistances. Not a huge book at all, but well worth the read. Second, search out any of the horsemanship books by Ross Jacobs. Ross lives & works in Australia; he also teaches relaxation, indirectly. Ross can teach you something about timing and about rewarding the thought that precedes the action; this has helped my feel a great deal. Lastly, buy a copy of "Horse Speak" by Sharon Wilsie. This one teaches you to use body language in a way your horse can understand, to communicate clearly with him. Eye opening. Thanks for your reply, and lots of good luck to you and to your friend! 👍

@@comesahorseman Thank you, I'll look these up! I have to say, of the many horses I've had and ridden, my Standie has taught me more than any of them. He came to me with a high level of internal tension due to always being consciously on his best behaviour. We now have a relationship where he can be his authentic self, and it's been a huge reward!

@@anne-mariecass7085 in my experience, this is a breed with a subtle sense of humor, seriously. Look for it! 👍

Keep sharing this video and it will start to spread so that owners understand and demand that the professionals either learn this or they choose another professional who is willing to learn.

Sounds like you take great care care of Savannah. Best of luck with her!

My boy is 21 and a similar story to yours, he was found to have HUGE Enteroliths we did the surgery 15K and he was a changed horse, a year later. But I still listen to him, to how we spend out time together.

She is lucky to have a human like you!💞

Well done holding your ground

I had a peanut gallery of boarders who thought I just couldn't ride when my horse was lame. Lots of gossip. I had some diagnosis but the maintenance stopped working and the horse became visibly lame in a leg and it was subtle but consistent. Still peanut gallery scolded me. I finally retired the horse. Then magically I bought a new young horse and developed it myself, achieved a national USDF ranking, championships, etc. Peanut gallery is dealing with cognitive dissonance now.

@Sara Leist what did you find?

Beautiful! I am so glad you trusted both your horse and your own intuition!

Agreed!! Horses hooves need to feel the ground, flex and push the frog to stimulate blood flow through the hoof to nourish frog and hoof health. Shoes are an abomination.

Her heels not only look contracted but are also far too high. What is interesting is that they did observe that her hoofs land toe first at each stride, both her front and hind legs. Yet, there was no mentioning that the reason for it are to be found in her being shod and therefore has a much reduced hoof functioning.

The task in this video is to identify lameness and the existence of the origin of pain in the horse & primarily attempting to teach viewers the pain indicators way beyond & way before limping lameness becomes obvious. Imaging confirms fibrosis in the suspensories. After diagnosis may come a consideration of the causes of the symptoms & the pathology…. poor saddle fit is mentioned as something which can impede correct movement & correct muscling. The effect of shoes/no shoes, high/low heels & a whole lot of other things associated with hoofcare is a program in itself. This video is not about preventing the development of lameness or of the causes o fibrosis in the suspensories due to a whole lot of possible causes, of which one would undoubtably be poor hoofcare….. right back to a horse’s juvenile years possibly.

And the fact that we need to have more empathy and education regarding posture, age and development, biomechanics, nutrition, conformation, training, self carriage, breeding, not to mention jumping is really not a natural task that horses do. And, rider fitness, the list can go on. Thanks for showing this. Very emotional 😢

I thought the same thing. Super super upright, no wonder she was landing toe first.

I so agree with you. Horses deserve far more of a life than performance living!

I think that's exactly what the video covered and what they tried to figure out.

I think the owner has options to consider & she has not yet made any decision about treatment ( an operation which may lessen the mares everyday pain level, even just as she walks around in a retirement paddock), to just keep her, hand walk her & “ love on her”. She’s obviously open to keeping her mare as a retired friend.

The toe-first landing was noted, and with that I was hopeful there would be some discussion of feet. But, yes - disappointing in an otherwise excellent production that the integrity of the hoof and its role in whole-body soundness was not addressed.

Dysin has done hoof care research so I would suspect that, in this highly edited version of events, that wasn’t a problem in this case - rather than ASSuming it was ignored. We aren’t privy to the entire vetting.

While removing the shoes would no doubt benefit the horse, the injuries are most likely from jumping. And the ligaments have had enough damage that removing the shoes wouldn't impact a lot I think, though like I said it would be better for the horse. But it really is disappointing that it wasn't mentioned. But also the bit, which we could all see the horse have reactions to the entire time.

What makes you think the feet were ignored? Unless they made this video 4 hours long which is likely the length of this extensive exam, the video cannot cover every blow by blow thing they looked at.

Hey Graeme! Well said!!! I was wondering if you’d see this! Maybe you will end up doing a review of this.

@@KingsMom831 I don't review videos without their explicit permission and I really really doubt they'd give that I think.

@@StableHorseTraining Ironically, you kind of are the ideal person to review something like this. I think you have not just a comprehensive understanding of horses, horse health & horsemanship, but also experience with hoof care. Either way, your comment was well thought out and I hope lots more people see it!

@@KingsMom831 thank you, I appreciate that very much.

Thank-you Graham 🙏. This needs to be talked about. Even human physios know that “the problem that brought you here is not where it started…” that indeed the pain we experience as being in one body part is often not because there’s a problem IN that body part. Or as Ida Rolf said, “where you think it is, it ain’t.” Bodies are far too complex to say that chronic pain in body part [x] means body part [x] is the source and certainly not that [x] is what needs to be “fixed.” I think way too many sport horse owners end up playing Compensation Whack-a-Mole. If the underlying lifestyle issues aren’t addressed, “fixing” one thing means 3 months later there’ll be something ELSE that feels “totally random” but… isn’t. Feet seems like such a no-brainer to address. I know how inconvenient and difficult it can be to transition a horse to barefoot, but it’s literally the least we can do for them. Or, if shoes are absolutely needed, then at least to use non-steel shoes. I always amazed people think shaving vibrassae is cruel (it IS) but somehow don’t realize that horse feet are rich, crucial sensory organs and putting steel over them shuts down vital sensory information to the spinal cord and brain. We take their one interface to the ground, and basically shut it off. (Not to mention all the other issues). In this time when there are so many hoof protection options besides steel, there’s no excuse.

I would love to print a copy of this for my teaching barn

@@prairiewindsnaturefarm Awesome, spread the word! Coming to this realisation should be a true wake up call. Once you know better, you can do better. :)!

@@prairiewindsnaturefarm Great! Please share!!! Would love to see every rider and trainer be aware of this and act accordingly.

Thank-you for saying this. 🙏

Dayna, if all those topics you mention in telation to the heneral husbandry of horses were covered in this doco, it would make a multi hour presentation. This doco is to bring to awareness “ behavioural indicators” which may signal to riders & others watching including Vets etc that the horse is in pain when it moves. This doco gives good fairly concise info about indicators & the processes involved with discovering a cause for pain signaling behaviour. It’san education about a specific topic & I think for many viewers this will be extremely helpful.

Horses have it much better than cows and pigs.