Pain assessment during ridden work is challenging but critical, as many pain expressions are misinterpreted as training resistance rather than medical problems requiring attention.
Pain during ridden work is systematically misidentified across equestrian sport and leisure. A horse that bucks, bolts, or refuses is overwhelmingly more likely to be in pain than defiant. The cultural tendency to address resistance with training rather than veterinary investigation causes horses to work through pain for extended periods before relief. Universal adoption of pain assessment in equestrian education could transform horse welfare in ridden work by reframing resistance as communication.