Objective pain assessment in horses (2014–2018)

Abstract

In recent decades, much effort has been invested in scientific studies of objective and reliable assessment of pain in horses. Various types of pain assessment tools have been described and (partly) validated for different types of pain in horses. Currently, composite pain scales and facial expression-based pain scales seem to be the most promising tools for pain assessment in horses and numerous studies have recently been published on the use of these pain scales in horses. Therefore, this narrative review mainly focusses on these two types of pain scales and on the studies that have appeared describing these type of pain scales in horses. The extent to which these pain scales have been validated (sensitivity, specificity, inter-observer reliability etc.) and their potential use for clinical pain states is discussed. Possible future directions for new studies and their possible aid in assessing pain in hospitalised and ridden horses are presented. In this way, improved pain scoring could improve criteria used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of new analgesic drugs and techniques, potentially benefiting equine welfare.