On the backs of horses
In equestrian sports, the horse's back is exposed to various loads: it provides a support surface for the saddle, carries the rider, and participates in the execution of various movements. Although the anatomy of the horse's back allows it to support the weight of a person, the horse is not evolutionarily developed to stabilize a load on its back.
In other words, excessive or incorrect loading on a horse's back often leads to health problems, which can result in back pain. It is the rider's responsibility to carefully assess and observe their horse's health in order to take the necessary measures to ensure the well-being of their companion.
This article explains why it is difficult to identify pain in horses, the prevalence of back pain in horses and the cause of this back pain.
Why is it so difficult to identify pain in horses?
Horses have been domesticated by humans for about 5,500 years and have become accustomed to living under their care. Although predator attacks are unlikely in captivity, domestic horses differ little from their wild counterparts in their flight and herd behavior. Most predators do not attack a herd indiscriminately, but select their prey very specifically. Often, they will choose the weakest animal in a herd, because it is most likely to offer the least resistance. Animals that are obviously weakened or whose movements are restricted therefore have a lower chance of survival.
Ethologists therefore assume that the absence or low manifestations of pain in horses are a protective mechanism to avoid attracting the attention of predators. This explains why horses, unlike other domestic animals, only express their pain in a very subtle way.
How prevalent is back pain in riding horses?
A study conducted in 2017-2018 by the Equine Sports Medicine Section of the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Zurich showed that 30% of the 240 Swiss riding horses examined showed signs of moderate to severe back pain (Dittmann et al. 2020). However, according to the owners, these horses were healthy and performing well. This shows that back pain often goes unnoticed or that riders do not consider the symptoms to be important. 30% of the horses examined showed signs of moderate to severe back pain. 70% of the horses examined showed no signs of back pain or only mild back pain.
Causes of back pain
The causes of back pain can be diverse. It can be acute injuries for example, following a fall, a bite or an unfortunate blow from another horse. Similarly, the saddle can be unsuitable for the horse's back and be the cause of the pain. For this purpose, there is a wide choice of quality saddles on La Sellerie Française .
In addition, there may be pathologies related to the spine: inflammatory changes in the vertebrae and/or joints of the spine, spinous processes or ligaments. In addition, there may be problems with the limbs: lameness or poor conformation can lead to physical tension and therefore back pain.
Back pain can also be related to poor rider posture. For example, a person with a very asymmetrical body posture or who does not absorb the shock when trotting, galloping or landing an obstacle can cause back pain in their horse. Back pain can also be caused by physical overload such as long, repeated and/or tiring sessions or excessive jumping over demanding obstacles. Physical overload is particularly problematic for a horse that tires quickly or is not used to the intensity of the performance required.
Poor posture can also be a very important and complex factor in the onset of back pain. In many cases, it is a vicious circle: the horse is ridden in a less than optimal posture, which causes back pain, which in turn leads the horse to adopt an even worse posture.