Normal does not mean ok
We often mistake the word normal for “everything is fine”. But normal does not mean non-pathological, it just means very common. Here are some examples.
This might be normal, but it’s not non-pathological.
We often mistake the word normal for “everything is fine”. But normal does not mean non-pathological, it just means very common. Here are some examples.
When we ask or talk about potential issues in our horses, a word that we usually find reassuring is the word »normal«. »Oh, don't worry about that, it's normal«. This is the sentence that can calm down a worried owner when they see something they think is an indicator that their horse is off. But what really is normal?
In general, we like to take the word normal to mean something we don't need to worry about. But what normal actually mean is that something is typical, expected. In a population, normal is what is standard or average. That means that if we have a population where a certain type of pathology is very common, it will by definition be normal. So, we see that normal does not necessarily mean non-pathological. Here are some examples of what is often shrugged off as normal, despite being pathological.
It's normal to clearly see the caudal border of the scapular cartilage in ridden horses. Most horses, especially high performing Warmbloods will have a clearly visible wither area and the caudal border of the scapular cartilage. If you are used to seeing this all the time, you might consider it to be »normal«, but the problem is that the lack of muscle in this area indicates dysfunction and/or poor saddle fit.
It's normal to see contracted heels on a shod horse. A contracted caudal part of the hoof is a very common sight, especially in shod horses. It's so common that a lot of riders don't even know what a healthy hoof should look like. When we have a non-functioning caudal part of the hoof, the entire hoof mechanism loses its capability to properly absorb shock and protect the joints, tendons and ligaments. So, even though it's normal, it's not healthy.
It's normal to see horses who bite and pin their ears when being tacked up. So many horses show unwanted behaviour during tacking up that it's become completely expected. It's usually disregarded as the horse's attitude. But objections to being tacked up can be an indicator of stomach ulcers, poor saddle fit or pain elsewhere.
These are just three examples, but we could go on for quite a while. The problem is that when these problems are seen as normal, we forget what healthy looks like. And any problem that goes unaddressed for a long time, will cause more problems down the line. The horse whose saddle does not fit, will eventually become lame, or dangerous. The horse whose hooves aren't functional, will eventually injure a tendon or his joints will start to degenerate. A horse that has stomach ulcers is going to tense more and more of his body to deal with the discomfort that he will eventually be in pain even more. Normal does not mean non-pathological. If you feel there is something wrong with your horse, don't shrug that feeling off with a »that's normal«. What is normal needs to change. And it's on all of us to change it.