You may have heard nerve signals explained with a stovetop: you hover your hand above the stove, you feel that it’s hot, and you move your hand. Horses might not use stovetops, but their bodies work the same way that ours do. Any behavior exhibited by a horse is the motor output in response to a sensory input.

Imagine you stub your toe. How does it feel?

Now imagine you’ve just found out you won the lottery, then you stub your toe. How does it feel now?

Now imagine you’ve just found out a loved one passed away, then you stub your toe. Feel any different?

Of course it does, because how we feel emotionally has a massive impact on how we perceive pain. Put simply, if you’re in a good mood, things hurt less. Horses may care about different things than us, but the key idea is that they care about things. They have good days and bad days, as any horse owner will gladly tell you. Unfortunately, as a veterinarian, it’s rare to interact with a horse that isn’t experiencing some level of pain. In fact, we are often tasked with finding the pain and fixing it, which means we should be asking ourselves: how happy is this horse?

The biopsychosocial model of behavior and horses

Enter the biopsychosocial model of behavior. This methodology actually comes from human medicine; it was first proposed by George L. Engel in 1977 to explain that disease is the result of an interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors, not just physical pathology.

  • Biological: What is happening inside the horse’s body?
  • Psychological: What is this horse’s cognitive and emotional experience?
  • Social: What kind of interactions is the horse having with humans and other animals?

Success in one area is intricately related to success in the others.

Consider the following: a mare and a gelding with the same degree of lameness are seen by the same vet. After thorough workups, the mare is diagnosed with a pastern bone fracture and the gelding is diagnosed with a sole bruise. Should the vet care less about the gelding’s pain just because the diagnosis is not as severe? Absolutely not, because it matters to that horse. In other words, to make this gelding feel better, we must consider more than just the biological factors influencing its pain.

Help your horse have fun

Interesting ideas, sure, but what can we do about it (especially as owners)? We would never expect a horse to ignore a broken leg just because he’s out on his favorite pasture with his friends – we would address the fracture because we can provide biological support. The same is true for both psychological and social factors as well. While your vet may handle the lion’s share of the biological problems, you as an owner can provide crucial psychological and social support for your horse! You know your horse better than anyone, so ask yourself: where does my horse have fun? Are there any toys or games they love to play? Can they see friendly faces across the aisle or fence? Are they having consistently positive interactions with people? Are there creative ways (thanks Pinterest!) that you can introduce psychological enrichment to your horse’s life, particularly during periods of stall rest or stress?

No two horses are the same, just as no two illnesses or injuries are the same. We have a responsibility as their caretakers and providers to meet them with compassion where they’re at, not where we expect them or want them to be. Although not always easy (or fun), it’s so much more rewarding to honor them as the unique, emotional, fascinating creatures that they are. Stay curious, and happy trails!