Conflict behaviour in ridden horses — tension, resistance, bolting, bucking — is frequently misattributed to attitude or training when the underlying cause is often pain or discomfort.
The cultural tradition in equestrian sport of overriding resistance, using stronger bits and more leg, or labelling difficult horses as stubborn or lazy causes enormous welfare harm. When a horse resists, the evidence-based first question should be "why" not "how to prevent this." Pain is the most common answer. A horse with back pain, kissing spines or subtle bilateral lameness may show resistance as the only communication tool available in a relationship where it cannot speak. The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram provides an objective framework for assessing whether a horse behaviour pattern suggests pain. Using it should be routine — before training intervention, before equipment change, and whenever behaviour patterns change.