One of the secrets of good horsemanship is to be able to sense whether anything is wrong with a horse whenever you are with him. The experienced groom will know instinctively at first sight if a horse is well or not. A natural understanding of the horse's normal disposition together with experience will enable you to decide that something is not right. An abnormality can indicate a minor ailment or a serious disease, and no matter how trivial the symptom, immediate attention will prevent the horse suffering unnecessarily.

A simple way of remembering what to look for generally is to think of the ABC of the horse. Appearance, Behavior and Condition. Constant observation is therefore a vital part of the everyday routine. Each time you approach a horse be sure you check that he is comfortable in every way. In terms of general health notice whether he is alert with a bright eye and smooth coat. A dull, staring coat is an indication that something is amiss in a stabled animal. He should not be standing with an abnormal stance, for instance with his front and hind legs far apart. This could indicate that he is stretching to ease some abdominal discomfort. He should not hang his head unless he is sleeping. (Don't forget that a horse can sleep standing up.) His tail should not be raised for any length of time unless he is staling or passing dung. Make sure you know what is normal for that particular animal and notice if he is straining uncomfortably.

Each horse is different in temperament and therefore reactions differ but, generally speaking, all horses will acknowledge your approach either by pricking their ears and perhaps neighing or, in the case of bad-tempered animals, by laying back their ears. Any marked changes in temperament could be the result of excitement, fright or pain and should be watched closely in order to diagnose promptly.

To be sure that a horse is warm enough feel his ears regularly in colder weather and after exercise in case he breaks out into a cold sweat. Each time you go into his box make a habit of running your hands down his legs. Only familiarity with each horse's conformation will allow you to recognize any changes and deal with them promptly.

Swelling in both hind legs can sometimes reflect a combination of digestive troubles and insufficient exercise. To rest a horse or reduce his exercise without adjusting the feed accordingly often predisposes swelling of the legs particularly in the hind limbs. Older horses are more prone to filled legs and in some cases the problem refuses to improve or does so only after exercise. If only one leg is filled an injury to that limb should be diagnosed before work is resumed. The day after a competition or hunting is often when wounds, perhaps caused by thorns, will manifest themselves, so a thorough examination of the limbs should be carried out before an infection develops. Any thickening of a tendon should be regarded seriously and remedial action taken because to work a sprained limb is to jeopardize the soundness of the horse in the long term.