Healing Horse R+

04/09/2026

Veterinary Record is the official journal of the British Veterinary Association, publishing original research, reviews, and news on a wide range of veterinary topics.

04/09/2026

Another discussion that the horse industry isn’t ready for is the increased prevalence of ECVM.

Which, centuries ago, was first noted but was an incidental finding.

Nowadays, some studies are finding occurrences as high as 40%.

For people who aren’t aware, ECVM is a malformation of the cervical vertebrae and is thought to be correlated with breeding for hypermobility that can make horses beautiful movers for dressage or very talented jumpers.

But, when they have this malformation, it predisposes them to a whole lot of issues, such as lameness, neurological issues and can often end in euthanasia.

I think that the current rate that we are finding this issue at is just a tip of the iceberg because I believe that there is still rampant breeding for certain traits that make it more likely for horses to have this problem.

So, I suspect that this 40% figure is going to continue to increase, especially in certain bloodlines.

It’s also important to note that certain diagnostics don’t happen until after death and unless Horse people are getting postmortem exams done, there are some answers that likely die with the Horse.

Regardless, even if the statistic remains “just” 40% it is a highly concerning and debilitating statistic that should not be as high as that.

There is a lot of room for improvement across the industry.

Every single problem I discussed on this page I think has the same foundational problem:

People valuing horses for their ability to use them as vehicles for their ambitions first and as animals second.

There are so many arguments across this industry that are centred around people fighting to justify their own access to horses, and not having to reflect and change anything.

Consistently, I see people prioritizing their own comfort and belief systems above that of their Horse.

For many people, even being open to some of these truths is so aversive that they would prefer to just deny it and ignore it.

And that is the exact issue.

If these conversations were more open from the jump, there would be more of a discussion of how we could fix these issues.

But, when we have an industry full of people who would rather ignore the problems and sweep them under the rug, than discuss them, it makes it harder to create forward momentum for positive change.

As someone who has lost a young horse from neurological issues, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

ECVM is a very scary issue and if you have a 40% chance of getting a horse who has it, it is something that many Horse people will experience in their lifetime.

So, it begs the question:

When will the horse actually come first?

The call is coming from inside the house. It is time to answer it and make some changes.

04/09/2026

It’s shocking how often we show up for a saddle fitting appointment only to meet a horse who is in no condition to be ridden at all. Even scarier is how many riders simply do not realize that their horse currently lacks the foundational strength required to carry weight safely.

To be clear, this is never about pointing fingers or assigning blame. The owners who book these evaluations are doing so out of love and responsibility, eager to do right by their partner and ensure their tack is as comfortable as possible. But having to break the news that riding needs to pause is always a delicate and tough conversation.

More than anything, it highlights a critical gap in our industry, recognizing whether a horse can or cannot be ridden in their current physical state, ought to be a foundational skill within every owner’s toolkit, rather than a surprising revelation delivered by a saddle fitting professional.

We need to recognize that a horse’s back was never naturally “designed” to carry weight and that riding isn’t what builds a horse’s topline.

Asking an unconditioned horse to build postural strength while carrying the weight of a saddle and rider is the human equivalent of getting off the couch after months of inactivity, walking straight into a gym, and attempting heavy barbell squats.

You won't build healthy muscle, you will compensate, strain your body, and inevitably hurt yourself. Expecting a horse to "ride into fitness" creates that exact same cycle of strain and physical breakdown.

You have to build the bridge before you drive over it.

A horse’s inability to carry a rider comfortably is rarely a simple fix, because a weak topline is usually a symptom of a larger, systemic picture:

👉Posture and Pain: If a horse is experiencing underlying discomfort, whether from joint soreness, dental issues, or soft tissue tightness, they will hollow their back and brace to protect themselves, making healthy muscle development impossible without manual bodywork.

👉Hoof Balance: Improper hoof angles disrupt the entire kinetic chain, altering how the horse places their feet, affecting posture and movement.

👉Nutrition and Metabolism: Without the proper balance of amino acids, minerals, and digestible energy, the body physically cannot synthesize muscle tissue, no matter how much work you do.

👉Environment and Movement: Extended stall confinement drastically limits natural movement. Horses need regular turnout and low-impact motion to maintain basic core tone and joint mobility.

Developing a horse that is genuinely fit to carry weight requires time, patience, and structured preparation from the ground. Long-lining, in-hand work, and targeted core exercises teach the horse how to lift their thoracic sling, engage their abdominals, and lift their back before we add extra load.

Even when a horse is fully fit, riding alone is never enough to maintain that strength. Groundwork and cross-training must remain permanent pillars of your weekly routine to protect their long-term soundness.

Ensuring your saddle fits is a vital part of horsemanship, but being a responsible owner also means stepping back, looking honestly at the horse in front of you, and asking the most important question first: Is my horse physically ready to carry me today?

Giving them the time, foundation, and conditioning they need from the ground first, is the greatest investment in their longevity you will ever make.

04/09/2026

"Gentle" Isn't the Same as "Free"

We've gotten so good at making control look kind.

No more whips or spurs. Just clicker training. Positive reinforcement. Liberty work. Soft hands, soft voice, "listening" to the horse. We've built an entire movement around being nicer to horses, and it's real progress. I don't discount that.

But here's the question that keeps me up at night: if a horse only gets fed, touched, or given company because they performed the behavior I wanted, did they ever actually have a choice?

A treat withheld until compliance is still a form of leverage. A "yes" that a captive, dependent animal gives because saying no means less food, less attention, or less freedom, isn't really a yes. It's just a softer no.

I'm not writing this to shame anyone. I spent years inside that exact framework, believing I'd found the enlightened way to be with horses. I hadn't. I'd just found a kinder-looking cage.

The question I'd ask anyone who loves horses, trainer, hobbyist, sanctuary owner, competitor, is this: when your horse does what you ask, do you actually know if they wanted to? Or do you just know they've learned that saying no costs them something?

Sit with that one before you answer it.

🐴 What do you think, is there a real difference between positive reinforcement and permission? I'd genuinely love to hear where

O
If these reflections resonate with you, they're explored more deeply in my book, Chosen, Not Obeyed: On Trust, Consent, and Autonomous Horsemanship. It's a journey into seeing horses not as problems to solve, but as individuals whose voices deserve to be heard. https://a.co/d/09GNEwxO

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

Beyond Good and Bad Equipment 🔥

In my last post I included a photograph of myself doing groundwork with a young horse, and someone commented that I should not be using a rope halter because rope halters can supposedly damage the trigeminal nerve. The horse, she added, should also have been wearing protective boots.

Which is interesting, because apparently I had managed to endanger the horse simultaneously by putting something on its head and by failing to put something on its legs.😎

Welcome to social-media-inspired horse welfare, where morality can occasionally be determined by conducting an equipment audit of a photograph.

Rope halter: bad. Soft halter: good. Bare legs: reckless. Protective boots: responsible.

If only horses were quite this straightforward.🧐

The reason I use a rope halter is almost exactly the opposite of wanting to apply more pressure. I use one because I want to make significant pressure unnecessary as quickly as possible.

I meet many horses that have become extraordinarily habituated to conventional halter pressure. They have spent months, sometimes years, being pulled, hauled and restrained in broad webbing or leather halters. They have learned to lean into pressure, brace against it or simply tune it out.😕

The human pulls. The horse braces. The human pulls harder. Eventually, whether you make it from the paddock to the stables becomes a 50/50 proposition, largely determined by whether your horse spots an enticing patch of grass.

But at least the halter is soft.🤷‍♀️

A horse leaning with considerable force against a broad webbing halter is still experiencing force. A horse that has learned to ignore pressure may consequently experience stronger pressure, applied more frequently and for longer, simply because nobody has successfully taught it what that pressure means.⚠

Some horses become defensive. They barge, pull away, threaten to bite or bite. Others simply become extremely good at tuning humans out. I don't consider that a particularly desirable welfare outcome simply because the equipment looks kind.

My objective is to change that interaction quickly. Ultimately, I want a horse to follow the movement of my fingertips. A tiny feel should be enough to guide the horse forwards, backwards or sideways.✅

Through working with many horses, I have found that a relatively stiff rope halter is an extremely effective tool for achieving this. It provides a different, more precise mechanical signal than the broad halters to which many horses have become habituated. It allows me to get underneath that habituation and establish a new response quickly.

Could I achieve the same thing in a webbing or leather halter? Usually, yes. But with a very dull or braced horse I may need to use more pressure, for longer, to establish the same response. That is precisely what I am trying to avoid.

I don't use a rope halter because of its capacity to create pressure. I use it because, in my hands, it reliably helps me make pressure disappear.

There is another reason this matters. Pressure gives me information.

Backing a horse, for example, tells me an enormous amount. I am not merely interested in whether the horse goes backwards. I watch how it goes backwards. Is it straight or crooked? How does it organise its limbs? Does it comfortably coordinate diagonal pairs? Does it struggle to move a particular limb? Does something that initially looks like resistance begin to look more like physical difficulty?

If I struggle to motivate a horse to perform a simple movement using pressure that I would reasonably expect it to respond to, that can be a substantial red flag.🚩

My question changes from, “Why won't this horse do it?” to, “Can this horse comfortably do it?”

Training doesn't diagnose physical problems, and I don't pretend that it does. But experience gives me a reference point for recognising when something no longer makes sense as a straightforward training issue. That's when I stop trying to solve it through training and consider referral to an appropriate equine professional.

Ironically, the piece of equipment being condemned as a welfare problem can help me recognise an actual welfare problem.🤓

Could a rope halter cause harm? Absolutely.

It concentrates pressure over a smaller area. Used badly, with excessive force or sustained pressure, it has the potential to cause pain or tissue injury.

But I don't need rope halters to be harmless for my argument to work.

Broad halters can cause damage. Bridles, nosebands, bits and lead ropes can cause damage. Prolonged pulling and friction can damage skin regardless of whether the equipment arrived from the tack shop looking reassuringly fluffy.

The meaningful question isn't whether a tool *can* cause harm. It is what happens when this particular tool is used by this particular person, on this particular horse, for this particular purpose.

That requires consideration of force, duration, timing, fit, technique, learning and the horse's response.

It also requires skill.

Equipment doesn't have timing. People do. Equipment doesn't release pressure. People do. Equipment doesn't notice that a horse has suddenly started backing crookedly. People notice, or they don't.

This is why I don't classify equipment into neat little boxes marked KIND and UNKIND. I make risk-benefit decisions.🤓

The same applies to protective boots. Boots can reduce the likelihood or severity of knocks, brushing, interference and superficial injury. There are circumstances where I absolutely want that protection. But boots can also retain heat around the lower limb, so they introduce another consideration.♨

I ask what I am protecting the horse from, what disadvantages the intervention introduces, and what matters for this particular horse doing this particular activity.

Sometimes I use boots. Sometimes I don't.

That's not inconsistency. That's risk assessment.

The same applies to my rope halter. Combined with my experience and timing, it allows me to take horses that are dull, braced and accustomed to substantial halter pressure and teach them, often very quickly, to respond to extraordinarily light pressure.

Once that understanding is established, I can put the horse in a broad leather halter, a webbing halter or the fluffiest halter known to equestrian retail and retain that responsiveness.

Because the eventual lightness isn't in the rope. It's in the horse's understanding.

Horse welfare cannot be reduced to identifying equipment that looks severe and equipment that looks kind. It requires us to understand learning, behaviour, physical function, skill, risk and the individual horse.😎

So I am quite happy to discuss the risks of rope halters. We should.

But let's also discuss the risks of a horse spending years being hauled around in a lovely soft one.

Because welfare isn't a dress code, and softness is not something you can reliably measure by the width of the strap around a horse's nose.❤️

Collectable Advice 283/365.

Please hit SHARE or SAVE because horse welfare deserves more than superficial labels of good and bad. We need deeper understanding of how horses learn, how equipment actually works, and enough humility to recognise when we may be judging something we don't fully understand.

And Project Reboot Challenge is not far off now, improving halter responses is one of the first things we work on ➡💬❤️