Is your horse feeling the effects of a busy summer?
Longer days, better weather and a full competition calendar can make summer one of the most enjoyable times of year for horse owners. Whether you have been competing, attending clinics, travelling to camps, enjoying fun rides or simply making the most of the lighter evenings, your horse may have had a much busier few months than usual.
As the season progresses, it is worth taking a moment to assess how your horse is feeling. A gradual decline in performance, a subtle change in behaviour or an increased reluctance to work may be easy to dismiss as tiredness or attitude. However, these changes can sometimes indicate discomfort, soreness or an underlying health issue.
Recognising the early signs gives you the opportunity to investigate the problem before it becomes more significant.
Can horses become tired after a busy season?
Just like human athletes, horses need sufficient time to recover between periods of more demanding exercise. Training, competing, travelling and adapting to different surfaces and environments can all place additional physical and mental demands on them.
Fatigue is not simply about the number of events in the calendar. Your horse’s age, fitness, workload, health, nutrition, travelling schedule and recovery time can all affect how well they cope.
Changes in ground conditions may also play a part. Prolonged periods of firm ground can increase concussion through the limbs, while deep or variable going may require greater muscular effort. Horses working regularly on different surfaces may need time to adapt.
Most horses will experience occasional tiredness after strenuous work. However, persistent fatigue, reluctance or declining performance should not automatically be considered a normal part of a busy season.
Signs your horse may be struggling
Poor performance does not always present as obvious lameness. The signs can be subtle, inconsistent or only apparent during particular movements.
You know your horse’s normal behaviour and way of going better than anyone. Changes worth monitoring include:
Taking longer to warm up or feeling unusually stiff
Losing impulsion or tiring more quickly than usual
Becoming reluctant to go forward
Resisting transitions or particular movements
Struggling on one rein or with one canter lead
Becoming disunited in canter
Knocking poles they would usually clear
Refusing or running out at fences
Finding lateral work, collection or bending more difficult
Becoming sensitive when groomed, tacked up or mounted
Bucking, rearing, tail swishing or pinning the ears during work
Showing a change in temperament or willingness
Taking longer to recover after exercise
Losing weight, muscle or overall condition
Developing heat, swelling or filling in a limb
Showing an uneven stride, shortened step or head nod
One isolated difficult schooling session does not necessarily indicate a veterinary problem. However, a repeated change, especially one that is unusual for your horse, deserves closer attention.
“They’re not lame - they’re just not quite right”
This is something equine vets hear frequently.
Not every issue affecting performance causes clear or consistent lameness. In some cases, the horse may appear sound when trotted in a straight line but feel different when ridden, worked on a circle or asked to perform more demanding movements.
Owners may initially describe their horse as:
Flat
Behind the leg
Unbalanced
Grumpy
Stiff
Reluctant
Inconsistent
Lacking power
Not jumping confidently
Simply “not themselves”
These descriptions are valuable. They help build a picture of when the problem occurs and which aspects of the horse’s work have changed.
A horse’s behaviour should not be viewed in isolation from their physical health. What appears to be stubbornness or unwillingness can sometimes be a response to discomfort, apprehension or difficulty performing the work being asked of them.
What can cause poor performance in horses?
A change in performance can have many possible causes. It may relate to the musculoskeletal system, but soundness is only one part of the overall picture.
Potential contributing factors can include:
Low-grade lameness or pain
Mild joint, foot, back, muscle, tendon or ligament discomfort may affect performance before obvious lameness is visible. The horse may compensate by altering their movement, changing leads or avoiding particular exercises.
Foot balance or hoof soreness
Changes in hoof balance, shoeing, sole depth or ground conditions can influence comfort and movement. Some horses may become more cautious or short-striding on hard or uneven surfaces.
Back or sacroiliac discomfort
Back and pelvic discomfort may present as difficulty engaging the hindquarters, reluctance to canter, problems with transitions or sensitivity when being groomed or tacked up.
Respiratory problems
A horse that coughs, makes an unusual breathing noise or takes longer to recover may have an airway issue. More subtle respiratory conditions can sometimes appear primarily as reduced stamina or poor performance.
Gastric ulcers
Gastric discomfort can affect appetite, behaviour, condition and willingness to work. Travelling, competition, changes in routine and periods without forage may increase concern about gastric health in some horses.
Dental discomfort
Dental problems can affect eating, body condition and acceptance of the bit. Signs may include quidding, dropping feed, head tossing, resistance or changes in contact.
Tack and rider-related factors
An altered saddle fit, uneven weight distribution or changes in the horse’s musculature can contribute to discomfort. Veterinary assessment can be combined with input from an appropriately qualified saddle fitter, physiotherapist, osteopath, farrier or trainer.
General health concerns
Poor performance can sometimes be linked to infection, anaemia, metabolic or hormonal conditions, nutritional imbalance or another underlying health problem. This is why it is important to assess the whole horse rather than focusing solely on the limbs.
Start by looking at the whole picture
If your horse does not feel quite right, make a note of what has changed and when you first noticed it.
It can help to consider:
Has their workload increased recently?
Has the ground become harder, deeper or more uneven?
Have they travelled or stayed away more frequently?
Have they had sufficient rest and recovery?
Has their appetite, weight or droppings changed?
Are they recovering normally after exercise?
Does the problem occur on a particular surface?
Is it worse on one rein or during a certain movement?
Has there been a change in shoeing, tack, rider or training?
When were their teeth, vaccinations and routine healthcare last checked?
Videos can be extremely useful, particularly if the problem is intermittent. Record the horse performing the movement that concerns you, provided it is safe and appropriate to do so. Avoid continuing to work a horse if they appear significantly uncomfortable or lame simply to capture footage.
A short diary of workload, surfaces, behaviour and symptoms can also help identify a pattern.
Should you give your horse some time off?
An appropriate recovery period can be valuable after demanding work, but rest should not be used indefinitely to avoid investigating a persistent problem.
If your horse is generally well and has simply completed a particularly busy week, a quieter period with suitable turnout and light activity may help. Their routine should be adjusted according to their fitness, temperament and individual needs.
However, if the same problem returns as soon as work resumes, worsens or is accompanied by lameness, swelling, pain, coughing, weight loss or another clinical sign, speak to your vet.
Repeatedly resting and restarting without understanding the cause can delay diagnosis and allow the underlying problem to progress.
What happens during a poor-performance examination?
A poor-performance assessment is tailored to the individual horse and the concerns reported by the owner. It may begin with a discussion about the horse’s history, workload, recent results, behaviour and any specific movements that have become more difficult.
The vet may then assess:
General health and body condition
Musculature, symmetry and areas of sensitivity
Feet and limb conformation
Movement in hand
Movement on a circle or different surfaces
The horse under saddle, where appropriate
Heart and respiratory recovery
Tack or other relevant factors
Depending on the findings, further investigation could include diagnostic analgesia, X-rays, ultrasound, airway examination, gastroscopy, blood tests or another appropriate diagnostic procedure.
Not every horse will require extensive investigation. The examination helps determine whether further testing is necessary and allows the vet to recommend proportionate next steps.
Starling Equine Vets provides fully mobile poor-performance and lameness examinations for horses across Suffolk and Essex. The team can also work alongside your farrier, physiotherapist, trainer, osteopath and other equine professionals to help coordinate the horse’s care and rehabilitation.
When should you contact your vet?
Arrange a veterinary assessment if:
The change in performance persists or becomes more noticeable
Your horse shows recurrent stiffness or unevenness
They are reluctant to perform movements they previously managed comfortably
Their temperament changes during grooming, tacking up or ridden work
They lose weight or muscle
Their stamina or recovery deteriorates
They develop a cough or abnormal breathing
You notice heat, swelling or pain
The problem improves with rest but repeatedly returns during work
You feel that something is not right, even if you cannot identify exactly what
Contact your vet promptly if your horse develops sudden or severe lameness, cannot comfortably bear weight, has marked swelling or pain, experiences breathing difficulty, collapses or displays signs of colic or acute illness.
Finish the summer feeling confident about your horse
A busy summer can be physically demanding, even for an experienced and well-conditioned horse. Subtle changes do not always mean there is a serious problem, but they should not be ignored or written off as bad behaviour.
An assessment can provide reassurance, identify areas that need attention and help you make informed decisions about training, competition and recovery. Addressing concerns early may also prevent a minor issue from becoming a more significant interruption later in the year.
If your horse has started to feel different, has experienced a dip in performance or is simply not moving as well as usual, contact Starling Equine Vets to discuss a poor-performance examination.
Call 01473 970393 or email office@starlingequinevets.co.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Temporary tiredness should usually improve with appropriate recovery. Pain or discomfort may cause repeated reluctance, stiffness, unevenness, behavioural changes or difficulty with particular movements. If the problem persists, returns when work resumes or worsens, arrange a veterinary assessment.
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Yes. Some horses with low-level pain or discomfort do not show obvious lameness in a straight line. The change may only become apparent under saddle, on a circle, on a particular surface or during more demanding movements.
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Poor performance describes a horse that is no longer working or competing at their expected level. It can include reduced stamina, reluctance to go forward, jumping problems, difficulty with transitions, behavioural changes or a general feeling that the horse is not moving normally.
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If your horse feels significantly uneven, painful or distressed, stop exercising them and contact your vet. If the change is very subtle, speak to your veterinary practice for advice about whether light work, rest or an examination is most appropriate.
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Firm ground can increase concussion through the feet and limbs, particularly when a horse is working frequently or at speed. However, soreness should not automatically be attributed to the ground. Persistent or recurrent changes should be assessed to identify the underlying cause.
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An uncomfortable or poorly fitting saddle can contribute to soreness, resistance and changes in movement. However, saddle fit is only one possible factor. A veterinary assessment can help determine whether pain or another health issue is present, with input from a qualified saddle fitter where appropriate.
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An assessment can be helpful before the season begins, during a busy period or whenever an owner notices a change in performance, behaviour, soundness or recovery. You do not have to wait until the horse is noticeably lame.
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Make a note of when the problem began, which movements are affected, recent workload, competition results, surfaces, shoeing and any changes in behaviour or general health. Relevant videos can also be helpful, especially when the issue is intermittent.