Feeling Better Looks Different — How to Spot Progress in Your Horse

Every horse owner wants their horse to be happy, comfortable, and improving. However, horses often hide pain well. As prey animals, they show only subtle signs of discomfort. What might seem like a training issue or bad attitude could actually mean your horse is in pain. This is where the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) becomes useful. The RHpE is a scientific yet easy-to-use tool for dedicated horse owners and riders. It helps turn your horse’s behaviors into actionable data. With the RHpE, you can become a better observer of your horse’s comfort and track their progress.

What Is the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram?

The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) is a checklist for pain behaviors. Dr. Sue Dyson, a veterinarian and equine researcher, developed it. It lists 24 specific behaviors that show when horses are uncomfortable or in pain. Each behavior is clearly defined.

Examples include:

• Ears pinned back for 5 seconds or more

• Repeated head tossing

• An intense, fixed stare

Research shows these behaviors are more common in horses with pain than in healthy ones. In Dr. Dyson’s studies, non-lame horses scored low, often just 2 or 3 out of 24. Lame or painful horses scored much higher. A total RHpE score of 8 or more out of 24 is a red flag for pain. Horses showing 8 or more behaviors in a 5-10 minute session likely have musculoskeletal issues.

Recognizing Subtle Signs of Discomfort

One valuable aspect of the RHpE is that it focuses on subtle behaviors we might miss. Any single sign might have other explanations. But when a horse shows many signs, pain is likely the cause. Dr. Dyson emphasizes that the total score is what matters most. Pinned ears can signal a response to a cue, but if your horse shows several signs of pain, it likely means they are uncomfortable. The ethogram provides a way to tally these signs and quantify pain levels.

Example of a Ridden Horse Showing Signs of Discomfort. Subtle behaviors like pinned ears, a tense mouth, or tossing the head can indicate pain, as shown in the RHpE checklist.

How to Use the RHpE: Watching and Scoring Your Horse’s Ride

You don’t need special equipment to use the RHpE. Just a way to video a ride and a copy of the 24-behavior checklist. Aim for 5 to 10 minutes of work, as used in research studies. Include walk, trot, and canter in both directions, along with transitions and circles. The camera should capture your horse from the side to observe head position and posture. Occasionally, film from the front or back to catch tail swishing or hind limb issues. Review the footage with the RHpE checklist. Go through each of the 24 behaviors and note if your horse showed them. Many signs may be subtle, like a slight tail flick or a tense stare.

After checking all behaviors, count the “yes” marks. This number is your horse’s RHpE score for that ride. A higher score indicates more likely discomfort. It can be surprising to find a score of 10/24 when you thought everything was fine. But this information is useful. It gives you an objective measure of your horse’s comfort, helping you communicate with your veterinarian or therapist.

From Pain to Progress: Tracking RHpE Scores Over Time

One big advantage of the RHpE is tracking your horse’s improvement over time. After treatments, perform another assessment a few weeks later. Ideally, the RHpE score will drop. In a study of 150 horses with musculoskeletal pain, Dr. Dyson found that after addressing pain sources, the median RHpE score fell from about 9/24 to 2/24. This shows a huge improvement in behavior. In another trial, scores fell from 10 to 3 after pain issues were fixed. This showed that the behaviors were tied to pain.

You can make RHpE assessments a regular part of your horse’s healthcare. Score your horse before starting a new treatment, then again after a month. If your horse has had a lay-up or rehab, use the ethogram to gauge when they’re comfortable again. Even when all seems well, checking RHpE every few months can catch early signs of discomfort. A gradually rising score can signal brewing issues, even if the horse isn’t obviously lame. This record can be reassuring, showing that your horse is improving.

Putting It All Together: How to Spot Progress in Your Horse

Don’t be discouraged by a high score; use it as motivation to find the cause. Often, it can be something fixable, like back pain or poor saddle fit. It’s satisfying to see a formerly uncomfortable horse moving happily with a low RHpE score. The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram helps you recognize and quantify your horse’s calls for help. It helps you notice little things and celebrate small wins as pain-related behaviors go down. Your horse can't say, “My back feels better after that treatment.” But their behavior will tell you everything. Listen and track it over time. This way, you ensure their comfort, health, and happiness while you ride and work together.

If your horse is showing some of these subtle signs, or if you’ve taken an RHpE score that left you with more questions than answers, you don’t have to navigate it alone. A comprehensive chiropractic and acupuncture evaluation can help uncover what your horse has been trying to tell you and give you a clear, compassionate plan for their comfort and progress.

Book an appointment with The Zen Vet to better understand your horse’s RHpE score and support them with tailored, whole-horse care. Learning how to spot progress in your horse can start today!

Pain Ethogram Visual Guide

Printable Checklist

Sources:

Dyson, S. and Pollard, D. Application of a Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram and Its Relationship with Gait in a Convenience Sample of 60 Riding Horses. Animals 10(6):1044 (2020). DOI: 10.3390/ani10061044

Dyson, S. et al. Development of an ethogram for a pain scoring system in ridden horses and its application to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain. J. Vet. Behav. 23 (2018): 47–57.

Dyson, S. and Pollard, D. Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to 150 Horses with Musculoskeletal Pain before and after Diagnostic Anaesthesia. Animals 13(12):1940 (2023)

Dyson, S. “The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram.” Equine Veterinary Education 34(8) (2022): 372–380.

Stacey Oke, DVM. “Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram for Assessing Lameness, Saddle Fit.” The Horse (Oct 4, 2023).

Christa Lesté-Lasserre. “Study: Elite Dressage Horses Are ‘Reasonably Comfortable’.” The Horse (May 23, 2021).