I think that the most difficult thing for an owner, a trainer, a behaviorist, …is to recognize when the horse is in pain. Most of the horses have a high level of tolerance regarding the pain they might have physically.
Or is it a behavior problem? He doesn’t want to listen. He is testing me? Or he still thinks it hurts. A memory of his past that comes up every time you touch him on a particular spot. Or when we put a saddle on him or a bit. A lot of behavior problems are caused by pain somewhere in the body.
Before bringing in someone who can help you with your horse’s behavior, be certain that his behavior is not related to pain that is still present.
How do you recognize the difference between a horse in pain and a memory of pain?
During a training session it is possible to see if the horse still suffers from any pain or if it is just a memory.
If you see that there is an improvement in his behavior during the training you are on the right track.
If, on the contrary, there is no improvement, you can almost be certain that the horse still suffers from something physical (assuming that the trainer is very good at his job).
In addition, if the horse’s behavior deteriorates in the days after the session and you (the owner), have followed exactly the advice of the trainer, or after each session with the behaviorist, he begins to behave as before, he is probably still in pain.
Before coming, the person you asked for help has to warn you when he thinks the behavior of the horse is linked with any kind of pain. Otherwise you will spend a lot of money to someone who is not able to help you because the behavior of the horse is only a consequence of the pain he suffers.
Everything depends on the past of the horse, whether or not he had a wound, a saddle that bothered him, a sharp bit, problems with his teeth, a trauma, etc. You know your horse the best. Trust yourself. Trust your instinct. Trust your horse.
If you have any questions on this subject, do not hesitate to contact me.