Physiotherapy for horses has developed a growing evidence base demonstrating its effectiveness for pain management and musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
Equine physiotherapy matters for welfare because horses are stoic animals who often continue performing despite significant musculoskeletal pain. The subtle behavioral signs of pain — reluctance, tension, resistance — are frequently misinterpreted as behavioral problems requiring training correction rather than medical treatment. Physiotherapy provides both direct pain relief and indirect welfare benefit by revealing pain that would otherwise go unrecognized. The welfare imperative is ensuring that horses in work receive regular musculoskeletal assessment and appropriate intervention when pain is identified, rather than simply increasing training pressure to overcome resistance that signals discomfort.