Sarah Ridd Veterinary Therapist

Use of robots and AI in equine business!

OMG!! The horse world has its own version of a robot grader, it make sense as I have a robotic hoover and mop all in one 🦿🧹
With AI now available soon to everyone to monitor your horses welfare in their stable and even their paddocks 🤖⛑️. You may laugh but yes AI to monitor your horses facial pain grimace pain 😰 scores and movement patterns - to indicate possible colic as an example. It’s already been rolled out at some equine hospitals even in the southeast of England 🏥. You may ask how can AI possibly monitor your horses facial pain and movement patterns - well it started with a need to improve the animal welfare in the meat industry. Do you think in the next 10yrs when you’re looking for a yard you won’t be looking for British Horse Society approved. But instead AI monitoring to ensure early indicators are picked up when staff knowledge is not consistent, noticing small signs that something is wrong with your horse. A simple notification to the stable manager will alert them to check on a horse, as the AI over the a period of a week has noticed a pattern of behaviour of reduced feeding, box walking and rolling. I think there is never replacement for human experience, though reducing human biases and pattern recognition can surely have a positive impact on our horses welfare.

👇🏻Why I use raised pole work 🐎
More then you may think let me explain
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🔶 Motor control

As the limb approaches and clears the pole:

– The horse cannot rely on its usual, often inefficient, movement pattern
– It has to reorganise the timing and sequencing of the stride
– There is increased demand on proprioceptive feedback and motor planning

This is why poles are so effective —
they don’t just strengthen, they retrain movement.

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🔶 Thoracic sling

To lift and place the limb accurately:

– The thoracic sling (serratus ventralis, pectorals) must control the trunk between the forelimbs
– You’ll often see improved withers lift and reduced collapse through the shoulder
– The limb is no longer just pushing — it is supporting and stabilising

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🔶 Pelvic sling & hindlimb contribution

Through the stride:

– The hindlimb has to flex more and step through more deliberately
– There is increased demand on gluteals, hamstrings and abdominal support
– The pelvis becomes more controlled rather than trailing

This is where you start to see improved engagement and step quality, not just activity.

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🔶 Epaxial stability

With the increased limb flexion and altered timing:

– The epaxial muscles (longissimus, multifidus) must stabilise the spine
– Rather than bracing, they work to control movement between segments
– This supports a more functional thoracolumbar posture

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🔶 Limb loading & joint mechanics

This is clearly visible in the photos:

– Increased joint flexion to clear the pole
– A more controlled flight arc
– More deliberate foot placement on landing

Which leads to:

– Smoother load acceptance
– Reduced abrupt loading
– More even distribution of forces through the limb

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🔶 Why this matters

Without this type of stimulus, many horses will:

– Default to habitual, often compensatory, movement patterns
– Reduce joint articulation
– Load asymmetrically without it being obvious

Poles introduce just enough challenge to change the strategy of movement.

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🔁 Progression

Once this is established, a belly thoraband can be added to:

– Increase abdominal activation
– Support thoracolumbar lift
– Reinforce postural stability

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🔶 Take-home

This isn’t about getting a bigger step.

It’s about improving:

– Motor control
– Stability through the slings
– Quality of limb loading

That’s what underpins soundness and performance.

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If you’re unsure what you should be seeing in your own horse, feel free to get in touch.

Pole work… but not as you think 👇

This isn’t just about “lifting the legs”.

Even a simple static pole exercise like this is doing a huge amount for your horse’s neuromuscular system.

🧠 Proprioception (body awareness)
As the limb contacts and negotiates the pole, receptors in the hoof, joints and soft tissues are stimulated. This improves coordination, accuracy of limb placement and overall movement quality.

⚖️ Loading vs medial proprioception
The horse is constantly making small postural adjustments:
• Loading proprioception (green) → sensing and controlling weight through each limb
• Medial/lateral proprioception (purple) → awareness of limb position relative to the body

This is especially valuable in horses with asymmetry, weakness or post-injury compensation patterns.

💪 Muscle function – not just movement, but control
• Isometric stabilisation → maintaining posture over the pole
• Eccentric control → regulating load through tendons and joints (especially the fetlock and suspensory system)
• Concentric activation → subtle lifting and repositioning of the limbs

🔗 The big picture: the whole horse is involved
With the head and neck lowered, the ventral muscle chain is engaged, encouraging:
• Activation of the abdominal system
• Reduced reliance on the thoracolumbar extensors
• Improved spinal stability

This creates a foundation for better movement, not just bigger movement.

✨ Why I use this in practice
• Early-stage rehab
• Improving coordination and balance
• Re-training movement patterns
• Building a stronger, more stable topline

It’s simple… but incredibly effective when used correctly.

Because good rehab isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing the right things well.