“When a horse has been ridden, you need to look and see how the horse chooses to stand afterwards. They may stand with the forelimbs and/or hindlimbs outstretched. They may constantly shift their weight behind, or they may stand and bite their chest. These are all not normal and likely indicate underlying discomfort.” Dr. Sue Dyson

“We have to look at the musculature of the whole horse. When I’m looking at muscle development, I’m always asking myself whether the muscles are proportionate throughout the body of the horse. Are they overdeveloped or underdeveloped in an area, or do I see a combination of these?” Dr. Sue Dyson

“There is good evidence that there were more lesions created by the bit in the corner of the horse’s mouth in those horses that were worked without a noseband. So, although it will depend a little bit on what you are asking the horse to do, the most logical reason for the noseband is to stabilize the position of the entire bridle.” Dr. Sue Dyson

“By observing the reins, we can see what type of contact the horse is taking. A normal horse should take an even rein contact. If the horse avoids taking contact so there’s a slight loop in the rein, or the horse leans on the bit causing rein tension,  or if there is asymmetry in rein tension - All of these are not normal.” - Dr. Sue Dyson

“We have to be prepared to come together and say in a cohesive way, ‘We have been doing some things wrong, these are what we acknowledge as problems, and this is what we are going to do to try and improve.’” ~Dr. Sue Dyson

"I’ve never acquired x-rays of any horse I’ve bought for myself, because I think the clinical examination is the most important thing." Dr. Sue Dyson

“The number one thing for lameness diagnosis is to find the source of pain. In many instances there are no localizing external clues, and when there are no such clinical signs, then we need to use nerve blocks.” Dr Sue Dyson

“I was quite surprised by the frequency of abnormal behaviors during bridle placement. It was more than I had anticipated.” says Dr. Sue Dyson in a conversation with Jody Ambrose of the Train with Trust Project, in which they discuss Dr. Dyson’s research findings into horse behaviors during tacking up and mounting, and what they can tell us about a horse’s wellbeing.

Dr. Sue Dyson and Jody Ambrose of the Train with Trust Project discuss the ways in which “rideability” or “rider feel” give clues about a horse’s health and wellbeing.

Learn how the horse’s lumbo-sacroiliac region functions, what kinds of issues cause pain in and around the area, and how to spot signs of trouble.

“We cannot shortcut the repair of ligament injuries, we have to give the horses sufficient time, and to try to put them back into work too early is false economy.” - Dr. Sue Dyson

In this interview with Dr. Sue Dyson we discuss head tossing, head shaking, and other causes of irregular head position, as well as what can be done to address them.

“A horse which is pain free should stand for grooming and tacking without fidgeting constantly. It shouldn’t be picking up limbs, it shouldn’t be swishing its tail, it shouldn’t be opening its mouth or threatening to bite, because all of those are not normal behaviors. Many horses who are normal will particularly enjoy being groomed in some specific areas, for example when you use a curry comb to effectively scratch the withers, which is where horses mutually groom each other.” Dr. Sue Dyson

Dr. Sue Dyson sheds light on the important health concern of gastric ulcers in horses

“Girthy” behavior may have many causes. Learn more about this important behavioral indicator from great resources such as World Horse Welfare , Equus Magazine, and previous TWTP Q&A recordings.

Dr. Sue Dyson clarifies the various reasons a horse may buck or rear and common causes of general unwillingness under saddle, based on her extensive research involving thousands of horses.

In a conversation with the Train with Trust Project, Dr. Dyson answers the question, "What should a healthy hoof look like?" and discusses the current research on barefoot trimming vs. shoeing, how to look for a good farrier, the latest developments in boot/shoe technology, the crucial role of communication between vets and farriers, and more.