Equine Behaviour

The Service is led by Dr Gemma Pearson FRCVS, the only RCVS recognised Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Equine). She is supported by resident Dr Ellie Girgis MRCVS, who qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and is undertaking further specialist training.

The Equine Behavioural Medicine team can treat a variety of cases that may fall into one of the following services:

Equine Pain and Behaviour Clinic

With many problematic behaviours seen in horses, owners want to determine whether these are due to pain, or are behavioural in nature.

Unwanted ridden behaviours could include napping, bucking, rearing or reluctance to go forwards. Other common presenting complaints that may be more generalised include aggression/grumpiness, anxiety, changes in temperament or being generally unhappy.

Pain has an emotional component; it has a negative impact on how a horse feels, but at the same time if a horse is stressed or anxious this alters how they react to and cope with pain. The relationship between pain and how a horse responds can be complex, so problematic behaviours may continue even if the primary source has been treated.

The expert team can determine to what extent each of the following factors contribute to problematic behaviours.

• Pain and physical pathology
• Emotional components such as stress, anxiety or frustration
• Cognitive components such as incorrect habitual responses that have become established.

They will then develop a treatment plan, specific to the individual horse, that addresses each contributing factor concurrently.

The clinic also treats behavioural medicine syndromes such as sleep deprivation collapse, self-mutilation syndrome and other abnormal repetitive behaviours. 

Situational anxieties and phobias

Some horses are generally happy and easy to manage, but may have a specific problem such as being needle-shy, difficult to clip, challenging for the farrier or have problems loading/traveling. The Equine Behavioural Medicine team will determine what motivates these unwanted behaviours and then help owners undertake a behaviour modification plan to resolve these.

Retraining results in a less stressful situation for both the owner and the horse. It may save money, for example to avoid having to sedate a horse to clip it, in the long term.

Low stress veterinary care

The Dick Vet Equine team is dedicated to minimising stress in the investigation and treatment of its patients, whether on the road or at the Hospital.

Dr Pearson undertook her PhD on the topic of understanding the stress response of horses undergoing veterinary care, and the development of low stress techniques. As well as integrating these findings into everyday care, the equine behaviour team continues to research how it can improve their experience of veterinary care.

Frequently asked questions

What happens during a consultation?

Consultations for horses based within a couple of hours drive of the Hospital are undertaken on the yard, and the normal call out fee for that zone applies. Our reception team can advise on those that fall outside the normal practice zones.

Remote consultations are available for horses that are based a distance from the Hospital. These involve taking a detailed history, reviewing any relevant video footage, then developing a behaviour modification plan for the client.

Situational anxiety cases tend to be simpler and so are charged on a per hour basis – the Hospital reception team can advise on current prices. For needle-shy horses, a live remote consult via mobile phone with your vet can be arranged to help them establish a successful relationship with your horse. WiFi or reasonable 4G signal is required for live remote consultations.

Ongoing support via email and evaluation of video footage is included in the consultation cost. 

How much does it cost?

The price of a consultation with the Pain and Behaviour Clinic is available on request and is the same as for our other specialist services. Please contact the Hospital on 0131 650 6253 or email eqh@ed.ac.uk for more information.

How do I make an appointment?

Appointments can only be made by referral from your horses’ normal veterinary surgeon.

Resources

Here is a series of short videos featuring Dr Gemma Pearson, produced by the British Equine Veterinary Association that highlight some quick, simple ways to teach horses to be quiet, relaxed and safe for veterinary interventions such as injections, clipping, worming, examinations and other procedures.