The ridden horse performance checklist is designed to enable you to recognize early signs of discomfort. You can also use it for reassurance - if your horse scores low (0 to 4 behaviours) then your horse is ok, and any problems you might have are probably training problems rather than pain related problems. But if your horse’s score starts to progressively increase, that is a warning sign that something is not right. 

If you get to a score of 7 or 8, you should get your horse investigated to try and determine what is the underlying cause. It might be related to you as a rider, the shoeing, the fit of the saddle, the fit of the bridle, stress or musculoskeletal pain. 

Your first port of call should generally be the veterinarian. Try to seek out someone who is experienced in investigating pain in ridden horses. By using nerve blocks, the veterinarian is able to block pain signals from a particular area. If the lameness goes away and the number of behaviours declines, then it is clear that the pain derives from this area. 

Download the PDF with the 24 behaviours here.