Unravel Equine Health & Performance - a conversation with Sue Dyson

In this episode of Equidemia Insights: today's podcast with Sue Dyson about equine health & performance.
Sue Dyson is a renowned veterinarian and researcher specializing in equine orthopaedics and welfare. She is particularly well known for her work in the field of equine lameness diagnostics. Her research has shown that many behavioural problems in horses are often due to physical pain that is difficult to identify.

She developed the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE), a systematic scoring system that identifies 24 specific behavioural traits that may indicate pain in ridden horses.
This tool helps to detect pain at an early stage that might otherwise be overlooked. The characteristics include, for example, teeth grinding, frequent tail swishing and asymmetrical movements.

In her studies, she has shown that horses that show pain signals are more likely to exhibit behavioural problems such as bucking, rearing or refusing to jump. By understanding this connection, she promotes an approach that interprets horse behaviour from the perspective of their physical health.

In a nutshell

What is the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram?
A systematic scoring system that identifies 24 specific behavioural traits that may indicate pain in ridden horses.

Why does it matter?
It helps to detect pain at an early stage that might otherwise be overlooked.

Sources

• Dyson S, Pollard D (2020): Application of a Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram and Its Relationship with Gait in a Convenience Sample of 60 Riding Horses. Animals 10(6):1044. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10061044
• Dyson S, Pollard D (2022): Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to Horses Competing in British Eventing 90, 100 and Novice One-Day Events and Comparison with Performance. Animals 12(5):590. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050590

Further reading: https://equidemia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Equidemia-podcast-references.pdf

Keep listening: Why dominance theory is outdated – a conversation with Andrew McLean: https://equidemiainsights.podigee.io/29-equestrianfuture

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