Dressage Under the Microscope: What the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram Reveals
The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RhPE)
The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) is a systematic tool used to assess signs of pain in horses while they are being ridden. Developed by equine behaviorist Dr. Sue Dyson, it is designed to help identify discomfort or distress in horses, particularly those engaged in competitive or high-performance activities.
The ethogram consists of specific behaviors that are associated with pain, such as:
- Ears back for more than five seconds
- Tail swishing or clamping down
- Reluctance to move forward
- Repeated head tossing
- Unusual mouth movements, like grinding teeth or opening
- Tense facial expressions or eye posture
The RHpE includes 24 behaviors in total, each of which has been scientifically validated as an indicator of potential pain. If a horse displays eight or more of these behaviors during a riding session, it is a strong indication that the horse may be experiencing pain.
Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to Horses Competing at the Hickstead-Rotterdam Grand Prix Challenge and the British Dressage Grand Prix National Championship 2020 and Comparison with World Cup Grand Prix Competitions.
In Sue Dyson & Danica Pollard's 2022 study, they evaluate RhPE scores of dressage horses in two competitions and compare these to the World Cup GP.
The Study
Video footage from Hickstead- Rotterdam GP Challenge (38 horses), British Dressage GP National Championships (26 horses) were compared to the World Cup GP (147 horses). All horses wore a double bridle and riders wore spurs. The RhPE was taken, documented and compared. The correlation between the judges score and the RhPE was also assessed. There was no judge score for the Hickstead-Rotterdam GP Challenge. A variety of gait abnormalities were recorded such as hindlimb toe drag, forelimb lameness and abnormalities in the piaffe and passage in the dressage competitions.
Results
Hickstead- Rotterdam GP Challenge - 38 horses - median RhPE score of 4/24
Most frequent behaviour (percentage of horses):
- Opening of the mouth with separation of the teeth for ≥10seconds (73.7%)
- Behind the vertical ≥10° for ≥10s (65.8%)
- Intense stare for ≥5s (55.3%)
- Repeated tail swishing (52.6%)
Gait abnormalities, BTV & errors:
- Gait abnormalities in piaffe & passage (73.7%)
- Flying changes were incorrect for 42.1% of horses
- 42.1% of horses had their head behind the vertical for more than 3 steps in extended walk
- 52.8% of horses had the error "behind the vertical for ≥10°" in the halt to rein back movement
British Dressage GP Championships - 26 horses - median RhPE score 6/24
Most frequent behaviour (percentage of horses):
- Opening of the mouth with separation of the teeth for ≥10seconds (88.5%)
- Behind the vertical ≥10° for ≥10s (88.5%)
- Repeated tail swishing (53.9%)
Gait abnormalities, BTV & errors:
- 53.8% of horses had trot gait abnormalities
- 80.8% of horses had abnormal piaffe and/or passage
- 26.9% of horses had their head behind the vertical for more than 3 steps in extended walk
- 72% of horses had the error "behind the vertical for ≥10°" in the halt to rein back movement
Three horses had a RhPE score of 8/24, with gait abnormalities, as seen below:
Scores compared to the World Cup GP
Gait abnormalities were seen in trot and canter across all competitions. It can be seen from the table below that the BD championships had the highest level of trot abnormalities and the H-R Challenge had the highest level of canter abnormalities, compared to the other competitions.
Gait abnormalities shown below in piaffe, passage, flying changes and canter. Alarmingly, 80.8% of horses in the BD Championship have passage and/or piaffe abnormalities.
RHPE scores across all competitions
Frequency of occurrence (percentage) for each of the top five behaviours of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram for all venues combined for competitors
Conclusion
The median RHpE scores for non-elite Grand Prix dressage horses were higher than for elite horses, in association with a higher frequency of occurrence of both low-grade lameness and abnormalities of canter and also the incorrect performance of many movements requiring collection. An appropriate investigation into those horses with evidence of musculoskeletal discomfort would allow targeted management strategies and enhance both welfare and performance.
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Reference
Dyson, S. and Pollard, D. (2021). Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to Horses Competing at the Hickstead-Rotterdam Grand Prix Challenge and the British Dressage Grand Prix National Championship 2020 and Comparison with World Cup Grand Prix Competitions. Animals, 11(6), p.1820. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061820.