12/03/2026
⚠️ Back pain changes how you move, how you react, and even how safe movement feels.
I know this very well at the moment because a couple of weeks ago I injured my back… and the pain was honestly agonising.
One small movement and it would suddenly grab..sharp, shocking, and quite scary in the moment.
What struck me most was how quickly my body went into protection mode.
➡️ Instantly bracing
➡️ Guarding every movement
➡️ Avoiding anything that might trigger the pain
Even now the worst of it has settled, there is still that deep, grumbling ache sitting in the background.
And it got me thinking about our horses.
Because if that had been a horse, we wouldn’t hear about the pain itself necessarily.
We would simply see a change in behaviour.
Some horses shut down a bit.
They stop offering movement, feel reluctant, or become dull.
Others go the other way.
They rush, hollow, buck, or react suddenly under saddle.
Not because they’re being difficult.
But because something in their body doesn’t feel right.
In my work as an equine physio and rehab specialist, I see this pattern a lot. Horses don’t always show pain in a clear, obvious way. More often it appears as small changes in posture, movement, or behaviour that gradually become their new normal.
Once that initial issue settles, it often becomes that more subtle discomfort, the kind that doesn’t stop movement completely but makes the body move with tension and protection.
This is often where the quieter signs start to appear:
🔸 hollowing through the back
🔸 losing the natural swing and rhythm in the trot
🔸 struggling with transitions
🔸 reluctance to go forwards
🔸 more tension when being groomed or tacked up
🔸 tail swishing or irritation during work
🔸 drifting through one shoulder
🔸 difficulty standing square
None of these things always mean back pain on their own.
But when you start to notice several of them appearing together, it can be your horse’s way of telling you that something in their body isn’t feeling great.
Horses live completely through their bodies.🐴💖
So one of the most valuable things we can do as owners is learn to notice the small changes day to day; those subtle shifts in posture, movement, or behaviour that tell us something might need attention.
Because the earlier we notice, the easier it is to help them.
💬 If this resonates with you, or you’ve noticed some of these signs in your own horse, feel free to reach out and message me. I’m always happy to help point you in the right direction.
❓Have you ever had a moment where your horse’s behaviour suddenly made more sense when you looked at it from the perspective of their body?
