If You Don’t Hurt, It Can Be Hard to Imagine That Your Horse Does

4 min read

Developing feel begins with understanding that horses experience discomfort differently than we often realize. This article explores why empathy is one of the most important skills a horse owner can develop.

We Understand Pain Because We've Lived It

One thing I've noticed over more than 25 years of working on horses is that our own bodies shape how we see our horses.

Many of us in the horse world—especially those of us over 40—live with some degree of chronic discomfort. Maybe it's a stiff lower back when we get out of bed. Maybe it's a shoulder that never quite feels right. A sore knee. Tight hips. An old injury that reminds us every morning that it's still there.

Because we live with those things, we understand something important: you don't have to be crippled to be uncomfortable. You can still go to work. You can still exercise. You can still perform at a high level. You simply learn to live with pain.

But younger people, and some fortunate adults, don't have that experience. Their bodies simply work. They wake up feeling good. They move without thinking about it. That's exactly how it should be.

The challenge is that if you've never lived with persistent discomfort, it can be difficult to imagine what it feels like for someone—or some horse—who does.

Horses Don't Tell Us They're Uncomfortable

Your horse cannot tell you, “My right shoulder has been tight for three weeks.” He cannot say, “My ribs feel restricted.” He cannot explain that his neck is sore, or that every left turn requires a little more effort than the right.

Instead, he simply adapts. He shortens a stride. He braces. He loses impulsion. He resists bending. He becomes “lazy,” “stubborn,” “crooked,” or “behind the leg.” Very often, those are not behavioral problems. They are the language of discomfort.

Performance Doesn't Mean Comfort

One of the greatest mistakes we make is assuming that because a horse is performing, he must feel fine.

Think about yourself. How many days have you gone to work while your back hurt? How many times have you climbed into the saddle despite sore hips, stiff shoulders, or a pounding headache? Just because you could do your job didn't mean you were comfortable.

Horses do exactly the same thing. In fact, many horses are astonishingly willing. They'll continue trying long after they're no longer comfortable. They don't complain. They compensate.

Developing Feel Changes Everything

That's one of the reasons I spend so much time teaching owners to develop feel.

The better your feel becomes, the sooner you'll recognize the small signs of discomfort before they become major problems. You'll notice subtle changes in muscle tone. You'll feel differences from one side to the other. You'll recognize when your horse is guarding an area before it becomes obvious.

Stop asking,

How is my horse behaving?

Start asking,

How is my horse feeling?

That single question changes everything.

Whether you've lived with chronic pain or not isn't what ultimately matters. What matters is recognizing that your horse experiences his body just as you experience yours.

Every movement feels like something.

Every step carries information.

Every restriction influences how he moves, balances, and performs.

The more we appreciate that simple truth, the more compassionate we become as horsemen. And in my experience, better horsemanship almost always begins with greater empathy.