This is something we talk about a lot with our students.

A horse doesn't have to have a huge area of soreness before they start changing the way they use their body.I

If something pinches, pulls on the coat, restricts a shoulder or simply feels uncomfortable, the horse may begin to move slightly differently to avoid it.

You might notice:

• A slightly shorter stride
• Less freedom through one or both shoulders
• Reluctance to move forwards
• Stiffness when first moving off
• Bracing through the neck, back or ribcage
• Sensitivity when grooming or tacking up
• Flattened, ruffled, broken hairs or rubs
• Unusual dry patches amongst otherwise sweaty areas
• Heat, swelling or rubbing
• Tail swishing, biting, stamping or moving away when equipment is fitted
• A change in behaviour when a particular piece of equipment is used

None of these signs automatically tells us exactly what is wrong.

But they do tell us to look a little closer.

A rug can look absolutely fine when your horse is standing tied on the yard.

But what happens when they start moving?

Can they walk freely? Can they lower their head comfortably to graze? What happens through the shoulder as the forelimb comes forwards? What happens when they lie down and get back up?

If a rug is tight across the chest or shoulder, sits too far forwards or pulls around the withers, it may interfere with the movement of the scapula and surrounding tissues.

The horse may respond by taking a slightly shorter step or carrying more tension through the shoulder, neck and thoracic region.

And rugs that are too big aren't necessarily any better. They can slip backwards, twist, rub and create uneven pressure.

When you take a rug off, have a quick look underneath.

What does the coat tell you?

Look for flattened or broken hairs, rubbing, heat, dampness or anything that looks different from normal.

And remember, horses change shape!

Age, weight, topline, workload, clipping and fitness can all change how a rug sits. Just because it fitted perfectly last winter doesn't necessarily mean it fits perfectly now.

This is an interesting one because adding more padding doesn't automatically mean adding more comfort.

Gel and anti-slip pads can certainly have their place, but they need to be considered as part of the whole saddle set-up.

Some tacky gel or rubberised materials placed directly against the coat can grip the hair. As the horse's back, skin and saddle naturally move during exercise, those hairs may continually be pulled or tugged.

For some horses this can contribute to ruffled or broken hairs and sensitivity.

That doesn't mean the pad is directly “activating” a particular muscle underneath it. But if the sensation is uncomfortable, the horse may respond by tightening or bracing the surrounding musculature.

There is another consideration too.

Every pad you add takes up space underneath the saddle.

Even something marketed as thin or pressure-relieving can alter the balance or make a saddle feel narrower.

So don't automatically think that more padding means a happier back. It doesn't always work like that.

If you are using specialist pads, ideally look at them as part of the complete saddle system and discuss them with your saddle fitter.

Saddlecloths and numnahs are so everyday that we can almost forget to check them.

Ideally, your saddlecloth should provide a clean, smooth layer beneath the saddle without creating additional pressure.

Look out for cloths that are:

• Too small for the saddle
• Pulled tightly across the withers
• Creased or bunched underneath
• Very thick and potentially altering saddle fit
• Stiff with old sweat, dirt and hair
• Unevenly worn or compressed

And remember to lift the saddlecloth properly up into the saddle gullet rather than leaving it pulled tightly across the withers and spine.

Again, when you untack, have a look at what is underneath.

Disturbed hair, rub marks or unusual sweat patterns are all useful little pieces of information.

We could obviously write an entire blog on saddle fit alone!

But from a muscular point of view, an uncomfortable or unstable saddle can influence far more than the area directly underneath it.

A horse may hollow, brace, shorten their stride or change the way they use their back and abdominal muscles.

And don't assume that because a saddle fitted once, it still fits now.

Weight changes, topline development, fitness, muscle loss and changes in workload can all alter saddle fit.

Girths deserve some attention too.

If a girth sits too close to the elbow, pinches the skin, pulls the saddle forwards or simply doesn't suit the shape of that particular horse, you may see guarding and tension developing through the sternum, pectoral area and ribcage.

Breastplates should also be there for a genuine reason and fitted appropriately. They shouldn't be doing the job of holding an unsuitable saddle in place.

Boots are another very normal part of our everyday horse kit.

They can obviously provide useful protection, but again we need to think about fit, friction, pressure and heat.

A boot that is too tight can create pressure. One that is too loose may rotate or rub.

And something as simple as sand, arena surface, sweat or hair trapped underneath can suddenly make a perfectly normal boot irritating.

Heat is worth thinking about too.

Boots and bandages can increase the temperature around the lower limb during exercise, so there is a good argument for using protection when there is a genuine reason for it rather than simply putting boots on because we always have.

And once you've finished?

Take them off promptly and have a feel of the legs.

Heat, swelling, dampness, rubbing or changes to the hair are all worth noticing.

Anything that influences the position of the horse's head, neck or body will also influence the way muscles are being used.

Training aids aren't automatically good or bad.

It comes down to why we're using them, how they're fitted and whether that particular horse currently has the strength and balance to work in the position we're asking for.

If equipment is too short, too restrictive or used continuously, we risk holding the horse in an outline rather than helping them develop genuine balance and self-carriage.

Equipment can't replace progressive training, appropriate fitness or investigating why a horse might be struggling in the first place.

This is probably the biggest message I would take from all of this.

The place where you find tension isn't necessarily where the original problem started.

A rug restricting the shoulder might contribute to tension through the neck and back.

A slipping saddle may cause the horse to brace through the trunk.

A rubbing boot might subtly change the way a limb moves, which can then create compensation somewhere completely different.

This is why, whether you're an owner or therapist, it is so important to keep looking at the whole horse.

Their movement, behaviour, workload, posture and equipment all give us useful information, particularly when something has recently changed.

Every now and again, go through the things your horse regularly wears and ask yourself:

Does this still fit the horse I have today?
Can they move freely in it?
Can they lower their head and graze comfortably?
Is it clean, dry and in good condition?
Is there actually a reason I'm using it?
Does my horse move or behave differently when I put it on?
And what does their skin and coat look and feel like when I take it off?

These are such simple checks, but they can tell us an awful lot.

If you find persistent soreness, swelling, heat, lameness, significant behavioural changes or a sudden deterioration in performance, stop using the equipment and seek appropriate professional or veterinary advice.

We become so used to rugs, boots, pads and all the other things we put on horses that it's easy to stop looking at them critically.

But something doesn't need to cause a dramatic injury to influence how comfortable a horse feels.

A little pressure here, a small rub there or slightly restricted movement repeated day after day can gradually influence the way a horse uses their body.

So don't only ask, “Does it fit?”

Also ask, “How does my horse move in it?”, “How do they behave when I put it on?” and “What does their body tell me when I take it off?”

The answer isn't to stop using equipment. It's simply to use it thoughtfully and keep reassessing it as our horses change.

At Wolds Equine Rehabilitation & Training, this is something we continually encourage our students and therapists to do: look beyond the obvious area of tension.

Quite often, the interesting part isn't simply finding a tight muscle.

It's working out why that muscle might be working harder in the first place.

Want to understand more about equine anatomy, check out our books and other resources at the link below.