With all we’re learning about rider’s effects on horse health, we might begin to wonder if it’s even ethical to ride at all. But don’t hang up your tack for good just yet, French behaviorists say. Rather, pay attention to signs of poor welfare and adapt your techniques to improve your horse’s well-being.

“Working conditions are being pointed out more and more as a source of welfare impairment in horses, leading to an increased risk of health problems, aggression, and dangerous behaviors,” said Clemence Lesimple, PhD, of the EthoS Laboratory of Human and Animal Ethology at the University of Rennes, in France.

“But we can promote positive educational techniques and, even more importantly, be attentive to our horses’ behavior and postures as reliable signs of its welfare state,” she said. “This will lead to a positive perception of both humans and work, thereby increasing both the horse’s welfare and the human’s safety.”

Poorly fitting equipment is a primary cause of health and welfare issues in horses, Lesimple said during her plenary talk at the 2016 International Society for Equitation Science conference, held June 23-26 in Saumur, France. In her presentation, co-prepared by Martine Hausberger, PhD, also of the University of Rennes, Lesimple stressed the importance of checking the fit of saddles, bridles, bits, harnesses, and other tack