Science - The Horse Physio - Sue Palmer

Tag: Science

Bravery in British Horse Riders

By Sue Palmer on August 29, 2024

Have you felt judged for your desire to investigate the physical reasons for your horse's behaviour or performance? Have you felt ridiculed, as though you aren't brave enough to ride your horse through it? Have you been told to 'just kick on', or that you 'just need to be tougher'? Here are some wise words from Dr Rosie Jones-McVey, taken from her contribution to the book 'Harmonious Horsemanship', which I co-authored with Dr Sue Dyson.

13.12.2021 The Noseband Controversy

By Sue Palmer on December 13, 2021

A Guest Blog by Sue Dyson There is considerable controversy about the use of different types of nosebands, their tightness and potential to cause harm. Several recent studies explored the use of different noseband types and their fitting with the presence or absence of lesions within the mouth, with rather confusing results. Alongside these have […]

12.11.2021 Sharing The Science

By Sue Palmer on December 12, 2021

Towards Machine Recognition of Facial Expressions of Pain in Horses You can access the full article here. Today I was chatting with a client about whether or not her horse might suffer from some level of hind guy dysfunction. The mare is on Succeed (a supplement which helps ease some types of hind gut dysfunction), […]

6.12.2021 Fit For Welfare

By Sue Palmer on December 6, 2021

Fit For Welfare: An International Conference from The Society Of Master Saddlers On 6th November 2021, I was delighted to be part of the innovative virtual event, ‘Fit For Welfare’, hosted by the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS). Today I’m sharing with you some of my learning from the day. In a twist that I […]

4.12.2021 Fit For Welfare

By Sue Palmer on December 4, 2021

Fit For Welfare: An International Conference from The Society Of Master Saddlers On 6th November 2021, I was delighted to be part of the innovative virtual event, ‘Fit For Welfare’, hosted by the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS). Today I’m sharing with you some of my learning from the day. In a twist that I […]

2.11.2021 Sharing The Science

By Sue Palmer on December 2, 2021

Enhanced Understanding of Horse-Human Interactions to Optimize Welfare How does your horse see the world? How does he see you? Does he know how you feel? This scientific review looks at how horses read humans, with a view to helping us understand how we can make our horses’ lives better. Simple Summary Horses are used […]

What Do Horse Owners Really Think About Supplements?

By Sue Palmer on November 28, 2021

A fascinating study looked into the supplements used by dressage and eventing horse owners, and their reasons for using them. Through an online survey shared via British Eventing and Dressage websites, researchers gathered insights from 599 owners—441 dressage and 158 eventing. Owners had an average of 26 years of riding experience and typically used two supplements for their highest-performing horse. The reasons? In dressage, the focus was on joint mobility and behaviour, while eventers prioritised electrolytes and joint support. The key challenges identified were revealing. For dressage, energy/behaviour, lameness, and back or muscle issues topped the list. In eventing, stamina and fitness were the biggest concerns, followed by lameness and behaviour. Interestingly, there was a mismatch between the issues owners highlighted and their choice of supplements. While lameness was a major worry in both disciplines, it wasn’t always addressed with their supplement choices. This study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of how supplements align with specific health and performance concerns. It’s a reminder to all of us in the equestrian world to consider not just what we give our horses, but why—and whether it’s truly addressing their needs.

22.11.2021 Sharing The Science

By Sue Palmer on November 22, 2021

Time Restricted Eating This one has nothing to do with horses, but it’s a subject that I’m really interested in, and one that I think has potential benefit for many people, so I’m choosing to share it. I’ve just finished reading ‘The Diet Myth’ by Tim Spector, and am now reading ‘Why Calories Don’t Count’ […]

21.11.2021 Review of Centaur Biomechanics Seminar 2021

By Sue Palmer on November 21, 2021

In October 2021 I was lucky enough to attend the Centaur Biomechanics Equine Sports Seminar Virtual Summit. As always, the lectures were of a very high quality and there was an immense amount to take in. Here I share with you some of my understanding. Haydn Price: Solear packing: More than just a protective measure. […]

19.11.2021 Review of Centaur Biomechanics Seminar 2021

By Sue Palmer on November 19, 2021

In October 2021 I was lucky enough to attend the Centaur Biomechanics Equine Sports Seminar Virtual Summit. As always, the lectures were of a very high quality and there was an immense amount to take in. Here I share with you some of my understanding. Dr. Elin Hernlund: The hoof surface interaction – Functional characteristics […]

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