Ruxbury works together with Christina Medom. Christina is a horse trainer and equine therapist. She helps riders and trainers better understand horse behavior and what influences it. In this work, Christina uses Ruxbury to measure the horse's pulse.
Below is a case showing the horse's pulse in different situations.
Today, you are observing the pulse during physical therapy.
**Area 1:** Here, the pulse is relatively low. Gait analysis and palpation are performed.
**Area 2:** Here, the pulse is generally high. The jaw and neck are relaxed, and judging by the horse's behavior, it is clearly a bit challenging.
**Area 3:** Here, the pulse is again fairly low. The thoracolumbar fascia is relaxed, which was clearly well-received.
**Area 4:** Here, work is done on some very tight shoulders, and the pulse rises again. Many might think, based on the horse's behavior, that the horse was just being goofy and silly, as he suddenly starts licking everything nearby, scratching, nudging things, etc., but when compared with the pulse, it's clearly displacement behavior, indicating it's not easy for the horse.
**Area 5:** Here, acupressure combined with a tuning fork is used—I’m quite sure the horse thought this was one of the most sensible things that happened today.
It's not uncommon to see horses acting goofy during saddling, farrier work, treatment, training, etc., and perhaps sometimes we should think more kindly of them instead of only focusing on them standing still.
As the owner themselves said, it's no use just trying to stop the behavior if we don’t try to understand it and have something else to offer instead.
Horses have many and individual expressions of stress: some shut down, some display large behaviors, some get spooky, some become impatient and restless, and some become goofy. But regardless of the expression, they deserve that we make an effort to understand their communication.
Visit Christina at her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hestenoerd
