Equestrian sports encompass a variety of competitive disciplines involving horses and riders. These sports include show jumping, dressage, eventing, and endurance riding, among others. Each discipline requires specific skills and training for both horse and rider, emphasizing aspects such as agility, precision, and stamina. The performance of horses in these sports is influenced by factors including genetics, training methodologies, and rider expertise. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the dynamics, training techniques, and performance outcomes associated with equestrian sports, as well as the welfare and management of sport horses.
Hitchens PL, Blizzard CL, Jones G, Day LM, Fell J.To describe rates of occurrence of falls, injuries and fatalities to horse-racing jockeys in Australia. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data on race-day falls from stewards' reports provided by the Principal Racing Authority of each state and territory of Australia, August 2002 - July 2006. Methods: Fall, injury and fatality incidence rates; comparison with overseas rates. Results: There were 3360 jockey falls from 748 367 rides. Falls occurred at a rate of 0.42 per 100 rides in flat races and 5.26 per 100 rides in jumps races. In flat racing, 54.6% (1694/3101) of falls occurred before the ...
Battaglia C, Nappi RE, Mancini F, Cianciosi A, Persico N, Busacchi P.Repeated microtraumas in horseback riders and mountain bikers are, in males, associated with perineal and scrotal lesions. No data are reported in the females. Objective: To report five cases of clitoral microcalcifications, diagnosed by ultrasonography, in six healthy, eumenorrheic athletes, and to verify the clinical and sexual impact of the ultrasonographic findings. Methods: Translabial ultrasonographic evaluation of the clitoris, Doppler analysis of dorsal clitoral arteries, and the two-factor Italian McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire (MFSQ) METHODS: The patients were assessed with a d...
Wells AE, Blache D.In many equestrian pursuits such as dressage and show-jumping, it is important that the horse exhibits the same level of balance when ridden to the left as when ridden to the right in canter - that is, to show no motor bias. It is a long-held belief within such disciplines that to reduce bias that exists in horses and thus to enhance symmetry of performance to the left and right, the horse needs to be worked equally in both directions, although there is a lack of scientific evidence of this influencing bias. There also is little compelling evidence for either the existence or absence of motor ...
Lewczuk D.The aim of the present study was to verify the influence of distance between obstacles in combination for free jumping test on linear and temporal kinematic parameters of the jump. Investigated groups of halfbred stallions being prepared for 100 days performance test (two groups, 36 horses in total) were filmed on different distances between main doublebarre obstacle and last cross-pole in the jumping lane. Both groups of horses were filmed during their regular work in the same training centre 1 week before performance test. Jumping parameters were obtained on the same size of the obstacle. Da...
Törn A, Tolvanen A, Norokorpi Y, Tervo R, Siikamäki P.Nature-based tourism in protected areas has increased and diversified dramatically during the last decades. Different recreational activities have a range of impacts on natural environments. This paper reports results from a comparison of the impacts of hiking, cross-country skiing and horse riding on trail characteristics and vegetation in northern Finland. Widths and depths of existing trails, and vegetation on trails and in the neighbouring forests were monitored in two research sites during 2001 and 2002. Trail characteristics and vegetation were clearly related to the recreational activit...
Fox SE, Ridgway EB, Slavin SA, Upton J, Lee BT.Equestrian activities have always been popular in the United States. As safety guidelines have become more stringent, horse-related injuries have diminished by 40 percent over the past 20 years. Although perhaps less critical than in the past, injuries to equestrians most frequently involve the face, upper extremity, and lower extremity and are commonly evaluated by the plastic surgeon. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of these equestrian-related injuries. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database is a stratified probability sample of ho...
Morris T.The British Horseracing Authority and the Point-to-Point Authority value the veterinary cover provided by the profession at horseraces and point-to-points. There are a number of requirements for those providing veterinary cover to ensure suitable experience and training. We would like to draw the attention of colleagues to two changes to the implementation of these requirements.
First, in line with the requirements for those attending racecourses, the two suitably experienced veterinary surgeons required to attend point-to-points must both have attended a casualty management course by Decem...
The Journal of traumaAugust 13, 2008
Volume 65, Issue 2 447-460 doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e31817dac43
Loder RT.It was the purpose of this study to review equestrian-related injuries using a large nation wide database and analyze predictors of significant injury. Methods: The National Electronic Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian injuries from 2002 to 2004. The presence of a fracture, dislocation, traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injury, orthopedic injury, and spinal injury, as well as injury mechanism, geographical location, and emergency room disposition were noted. Bivariate, cosinor seasonal, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. p < 0.01 was considere...
Murphy J.Showjumping riders regularly employ various schooling strategies to control the horse's jump stride kinematics (JSK). Strategies include plyometric training regimes with fences of different heights and widths set at specific distances. Gymnastic grids teach the horse to jump cleanly. Rapping, once used almost routinely, is no longer in vogue. However, the use of performance enhancing (PE) boots on the distal hind limbs to alter equine JSK has become popular. There are two broad categories of PE boots: weighted and pressure. Some riders use so-called weighted boots on the horses' hind limbs dur...
Visser EK, Van Reenen CG, Blokhuis MZ, Morgan EK, Hassmén P, Rundgren TM, Blokhuis HJ.Cooperation between rider and horse is of major importance in equitation. A balanced team of horse and rider improves (sport) performances and welfare aspects by decreasing stress, frustration, risks of injuries, and accidents. Important features affecting the cooperation are the physical skills, knowledge, and personality of the rider on one hand and the temperament, experience, and physical abilities of the horse on the other. A study with 16 riders and 16 warm-blood riding horses tested the effect of personality of riders and temperament of horses on cooperation between riders and horses. M...
Blokhuis MZ, Aronsson A, Hartmann E, Van Reenen CG, Keeling L.A correct seat and position are the basis for a good performance in horseback riding. This study aimed to measure deviations from the correct seat, test a seat improvement program (dismounted exercises), and investigate whether horse behavior was affected by the rider's seat. Five experienced trainers defined 16 seat deviations and scored the occurrence in 20 riders in a dressage test. Half the riders then carried out an individual training program; after 9 weeks, riders were again scored. The study took no video or heart-rate recordings of horses and riders. Panel members did not agree on the...
Hennessy KD, Quinn KM, Murphy J.Horses are individual, each having differential characteristics such as height, color, breeding, conformation, and temperament. These bio-characteristics often influence potential purchasers when buying horses. This study sought to investigate if producers and potential purchasers placed similar emphasis on equine bio-characteristics. Sport-horse stakeholders--n = 1377 (792 producers and 585 potential purchasers)--rated various equine bio-characteristics on a Likert psychometric response scale during a questionnaire-based survey. The study analyzed responses, using the Wilcoxan test for statis...
Schwesig R, Sannemüller K, Kolditz R, Hottenrott K, Becker S, Esperer HD.The assessment of body posture control can be time consuming and cumbersome due to the complexity and the multimodal influence of a multiply influenced system. Various types of equine paces, such as stepping, trotting or galloping, result in acceleration and deceleration forces of different magnitude. These forces induce, in the horseman, reflexes that mediate motor activity to sustain posture balance and counterbalance the gravitational pull. However, there is a paucity of real life data regarding the extent of the various postural subsystems that are recruited to control postural balance in ...
de Cocq P, Clayton HM, Terada K, Muller M, van Leeuwen JL.Pressure measurement devices in equine sports have primarily focused on tack (saddle pads and saddle fitting methods). However, saddle pressure devices may also be useful in evaluating the interaction and distribution of normal forces between the horse and rider, including rider position and riding technique. This study examined the validity, reliability, repeatability and possibilities of using a saddle pressure device to evaluate rider position. All measurements were performed using a standing horse. Validity was tested by calculating the correlation coefficient between measured normal force...
Ho EN, Wan TS, Wong AS, Lam KK, Stewart BD.Insulin administration can increase muscle glycogen by utilising hyperinsulinaemic clamps prior to sports events or during the recovery phases, and increase muscle size by its chalonic action to inhibit protein breakdown. In order to control insulin abuse in equine sports, a method to detect effectively the use of insulins in horses would be required. Besides the readily available human insulin and its synthetic analogues, structurally similar insulins from other species can also be used as doping agents. This study describes a method for the simultaneous detection of bovine, porcine and human...
Turner M, Balendra G, McCrory P.To determine the direct and indirect cost of injuries in professional jockeys as a result of race riding. Methods: Cohort study. Methods: Professional horse racing. Methods: Professional jockeys in the UK registered with the Jockey Club. Methods: Payouts under the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme (PRIS) for injuries sustained by professional jockeys, which were recorded by the Jockey Club injury database between 1996 and 2006 inclusive. Results: In the 11-year period of the study, there were 1328 injuries that resulted in jockeys missing a total of 71,509 days of racing, and as a result PR...
Hülsemann F, Flenker U, Machnik M, Schänzer W.Sodium bicarbonate administration to horses prior to competition in order to enhance the buffer capacity of the organism is considered as a doping offence. The analysis of the isotopic composition of urinary bicarbonate/CO(2) (TCO(2)) may help to identify an exogenous bicarbonate source, as technical sodium bicarbonate exhibits elevated delta(13)C values compared with urinary total carbon. The isolation of TCO(2) from 60 equine urine samples as BaCO(3) followed by an isotopic analysis shows a significant variability of delta(13)C for TCO(2) of more than 10 per thousand. The delta(13)C of total...
Parkin TD.The management and prevention of racehorse injuries have been
studied for many years but it is only in the last decade that
quantitative epidemiological techniques have been applied to
racehorse injury and fatality (Estberg et al. 1995, 1996, 1998a,b;
Kane et al. 1996; Bailey et al. 1997, 1998, 1999; Cohen et al.
1997, 2000; Carrier et al. 1998; Hernandez et al. 2001, 2005; Hill
et al. 2001, 2003; Wood et al. 2001; Pinchbeck et al. 2002, 2003;
Parkin et al. 2004a,b, 2005, 2006; Takahashi et al. 2004; Perkins
et al. 2005a,b; Verheyen et al. 2005, 2006; Cogger et al. 2006;
Boden et al. ...
Boden LA, Anderson GA, Charles JA, Morgan KL, Morton JM, Parkin TD, Clarke AF, Slocombe RF.The risk of fatality is greater in jump than in flat racing in Victoria, Australia. This is the first study to identify risk factors specific to jump starts in Victoria. Objective: To identify risk factors for fatality of Thoroughbred racehorses in jump starts on all racecourses in Victoria, Australia between 1989 and 2004. Methods: Fatalities comprised all horses that died during or immediately after a jump (hurdle or steeplechase) race or official jump trial and all horses that were subjected to euthanasia within 24 h of an event in which an injury was sustained. The retrospective study invo...
Rivero JL.The main goal of any conditioning programme in athletic horses is to improve performance by inducing physiological changes within the animal's body. Equine skeletal muscles have a considerable potential to adapt during training and these adaptations have important physiological implications that influence stamina, strength and speed. Although there is an extensive specialized literature in this regard, scientific based muscle conditioning methods have not been introduced sufficiently in the equine sport practice. After a brief synopsis of both equine muscle exercise physiology and muscular ada...
Ceroni D, De Rosa V, De Coulon G, Kaelin A.We report 4 cases of nutcracker fractures of the cuboid resulting from equestrian sport in pediatric population. These lesions are often consistent with a trauma in forced abduction of the forefoot. The particular mechanism of the cuboid fracture due to horseback riding in children is discussed. The methods used to radiographically evaluate the compression fracture of the cuboid and its associated injuries are presented. Left untreated, these fractures can lead to severe alterations in foot mechanics and function, such as to severe pain. In addition, the surgical treatment to correct the nutcr...
Balendra G, Turner M, McCrory P.It has been previously shown that professional jump and flat racing jockeys suffer a high incidence of injury as a consequence of their profession. This paper specifically examines career-ending injuries to professional jockeys in Great Britain. Objective: To investigate career-ending injuries in professional jockeys. Methods: Analysis of prospectively collected injury database on professional jockeys. Results: The majority of injuries in this study occurred to the head, shoulder or torso. Fractures were the most common type of injury that led to a decision to end a career, followed by neurolo...
Carrillo EH, Varnagy D, Bragg SM, Levy J, Riordan K.According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 30 million people ride horses each year in the United States. Horseback riding related injuries are common, with an estimated 50,000 emergency room visits annually. The popularity of recreational horseback riding has increased in South Florida and the incidence of associated traumatic injuries is a reflection of this. Methods: Retrospective review of patients admitted to a state designated Level I trauma center that sustained horseback riding associated injuries between January 2000 and December 2003. Information ex...
The Journal of traumaApril 7, 2007
Volume 62, Issue 3 735-739 doi: 10.1097/ta.0b013e318031b5d4
Mayberry JC, Pearson TE, Wiger KJ, Diggs BS, Mullins RJ.Equestrian injury is commonly seen at trauma centers and the severity of injury is often high. We sought to determine the risk, incidence, and the influence of skill and experience on injury during horse-related activity (HRA). Methods: Members of horse clubs and individual equestrians in a three-state region (Oregon, Washington, and Idaho) were recruited via mailings and community advertisements to take a survey regarding their horse contact time and injuries over their entire riding career. Serious injury (SI) was defined by hospitalization, surgery, or long-term disability. Results: There w...
Vervuert I, Stanik K, Coenen M.Increasing levels of dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) might have a negative impact on parathyroid hormone (PTH) response and result in a more pronounced hypocalcaemia during high-speed exercise in horses. Methods: In successive order, five trained horses were fed 33 g Ca and 19 g P (approximately 100% NRC, adequate intake), 64 g Ca and 38 g P (moderately high intake) or 96 g Ca and 56 g P (high intake). Each horse was adapted to each diet over a 21 day period before undergoing a standardised exercise test (SET) on a treadmill. The SET comprised 5 steps (each step 4 min duration, 3% inc...
Wong KS, Cheung HW, Choi TLS, Kwok WH, Curl P, Mechie SC, Prabhu A, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.Recent advances in label-free quantitative proteomics may support its application in identifying and monitoring biomarkers for the purpose of doping control in equine sports. In this study, we developed a workflow of label-free quantitative proteomics to propose plasma protein biomarkers in horses after administration with krypton (Kr), a potential erythropoiesis-stimulating agent. Plasma proteomes were profiled by using nanoliquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. An in-house mass spectral library consisting of 1121 proteins was compiled using samples collected from geldings (...
Gray BP, Teale P, Pearce CM.Analysis of equine plasma samples to detect the abuse of anabolic steroids can be complicated when the parent steroid is endogenous to the animal. Anabolic steroids are usually administered intramuscularly as synthetic esters and therefore detection of the exogenous esters provides unequivocal proof of illegal administration. An ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC-MSMS) method for the analysis of esters of testosterone (propionate, phenylpropionate, isocaproate, and decanoate) and boldenone (undecylenate) in equine plasma has been developed. Esters were...
Toft K, Kjeldsen ST, Otten ND, van Galen G, Fjeldborg J, Sinding M, Hansen S.Flexion of the horse's head and neck during dressage riding reduces the pharyngeal lumen with the risk of increased upper airway resistance and upper airway obstructions. According to the Fédération Equestre Internationale, hyperflexion is achieved through force, whereas the position low-deep-round is nonforced. The objectives of this study were to evaluate (1) applied rein tension and (2) dynamic structural disorders in the upper airways in dressage horses in different gaits and different head-neck positions (HNPs). Overground endoscopy (OGE) and rein tension were evaluated in 13 clinically...
Poškienė I, Gruodytė R, Autukaitė J, Juozaitienė V, Antanaitis R.Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has described equine endurance racing as the second largest discipline in the world, above which is only show jumping. The Žemaitukai is an ancient indigenous Lithuanian horse breed known since the 6th or 7th century. The Arabian horse breed is one of the oldest human-developed horse breeds in the world. Compared with other race horse breeds, the muscle tissue of Arabian horses is characterized by significant differences in structure-a predominance of oxidative fiber type I is observed in Arabians, making them the prevailing breed in endurance racing...
Murer S, Polidori G, Beaumont F, Bogard F, Hakim H, Legrand F.Pudendal Neuralgia (PN) is a rare, debilitating disease caused by damage to the pudendal nerve, which innervates the anus, rectum, perineum, lower urinary tract, and genitalia. Although its etiology remains scientifically unknown, a number of sports practices, including horse-riding, are reported as triggering and/or aggravating factors. The present work summarizes the experimental measurements of the contact pressure at the interface between the rider and saddle, for a population of 12 experienced female riders. These tests reveal that dynamic horseback-riding leads to high levels of peak pre...
Dekker R, Groothoff JW, Eisma WH, ten Duis HJ.To determine whether equestrian injuries result in long-term residual symptoms and to establish the risk factors for these outcomes. Methods: Retrospective, descriptive. Methods: A total of 88 patients older than 17 years of age who had been admitted to the Department of Surgery, University Hospital Groningen during the period 1990-1998 because of an equestrian injury were included in the study. After an average period of five years an inventory was made using the Sickness Impact Profile 68 (SIP68), if absenteeism from work or sport and disabilities or handicaps were experienced. Following thi...
Rydevik A, Bondesson U, Hedeland M.Bupivacaine is a local anaesthetic prohibited in equine sports. It is highly metabolized in the horse but a thorough description of its metabolite profile is lacking. An administration study should find appropriate analytical targets for doping control. Furthermore, knowledge of an in vitro system for production of metabolites would be beneficial. Methods: Marcain® (bupivacaine hydrochloride) was administered subcutaneously to a horse and urine samples were collected. In vitro metabolic systems consisting of the fungi Cunninghamella elegans and Cunninghamella blakesleeana were incubated with ...
Becker K, Lewczuk D.The application of commercial inertial measurement units has become popular in equestrian sports, which may help to eliminate a gap of knowledge concerning many aspects of biomechanics in training. This study employed the Seaver IMU system to measure jumping characteristics of horses with differing age-competition experience during regular training. It was hypothesized that experience level results in lower variability of jumping parameters. Twelve Warmblood horses aged 5 to 6 years with/without competition experience and 7 to 11 years with experience were investigated during regular training ...
Richards SL, Cawley AT, Raftery MJ.Dermorphin, a hepta-peptide with potent analgesic properties, is classified as a doping agent in equine racing. Since its discovery, a number of biologically active structural analogs have been synthesized and made commercially available so there is a need for reliable methods of detection. Results: A sensitive detection method was developed for dermorphin and six analogs in equine urine. Peptide enrichment was achieved using weak cation exchange with subsequent separation and detection by nano-UHPLC-MS/MS. Method validation parameters included: specificity, linearity (5-10000 pg/ml), recovery...
Tobari H, Yamagishi K, Noda H, Tanigawa T, Iso H.Prevention of horse-related injuries is considered difficult because horse behavior is unpredictable. Therefore, risk factors for injuries related to professional horse racing need to be investigated. We conducted a study to determine whether body mass index (BMI) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels are associated with professional horse racing-related injuries. Methods: A baseline healthy survey of 546 male grooms and exercise riders aged 40-70 yr working at Miho Training Center, the largest racing-horse training facility in Japan, was performed in May 2003. A total of 93 occupational ...
Walker N, Huseman C, Cater M, McCorkle DA, Hanselka D, Zoller J.The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the availability of virtual horse showing opportunities. The objectives of this study were to describe survey participants' personal characteristics and participation in virtual and in-person horse shows, level of satisfaction, attitude toward technology and motivation to participate, and internal and external factors influencing the decision to participate in virtual horse shows. A survey was distributed to a target audience of adult horse show participants and/or adults supporting youth horse show participants via Qualtrics (n = 251). A majority of respo...
Harris P.This article reviews the principles of feeding management for endurance horses. The amount and type of dietary energy (calories) are key considerations in dietary management, because (1) there is evidence that the body condition score, an indicator of overall energy balance, influences endurance exercise performance, and (2) the source of dietary energy (ie, carbohydrate versus fat calories) impacts health, metabolism, and athletic performance. Optimal performance is also dependent on provision of adequate feed, water, and electrolytes on race day.
Hess TM, Kronfeld DS, Carter RA, Treiber KH, Byrd BM, Staniar WB, Smith LT, Gay LA, Harris PA.Electrolyte mixtures given to counter sweat loss usually contain abundant potassium. However, increases in plasma [K+] occur with exercise and supplementation may further increase plasma levels, potentially increasing the risk of neuromuscular hyperexcitability and development of adverse clinical sequellae. This proposition requires study. Objective: To compare effects of a K-rich electrolyte supplement (EM+K) to a K-free one (EM-K) on plasma [K+], [Ca++] and acid-base status during an endurance incremental exercise test on the treadmill. Methods: The test consisted of 3 bouts (simulating loop...
Cutler C, White DL, Viljanto M.SR-9009 is a synthetic compound widely available to purchase online as 'supplement' products due to its potential performance-enhancing effects, presenting a significant threat with regard to doping control in sport. In vitro metabolism with equine liver microsomes was performed to identify potential targets for detection of SR-9009. Six metabolites were identified, with the most abundant consisting of N-dealkylated metabolites (M1-M3). The addition of the identified metabolites to high-resolution accurate mass databases resulted in a positive finding for the N-dealkylated metabolite M1 of SR-...
Riders’ asymmetry may cause back pain in both human and equine athletes. This pilot study aimed at documenting in a simple and quick way asymmetry in riders during a simulation of three different riding positions on wooden horseback using load cells applied on the stirrup leathers and identifying possible associations between riders’ asymmetry and their gender, age, level of riding ability, years of riding experience, riding style, motivation of riding, primary discipline and handedness. After completing an interview to obtain the previously mentioned information, 147 riders performed a st...
Aurich JE, Wohlsein P, Wulf M, Nees M, Baumgärtner W, Becker-Birck M, Aurich C.Identification of horses has traditionally been facilitated by hot iron branding, but the extent by which branding symbols and numbers can be identified has not been investigated. The local pathological changes induced by branding are also unknown. This study analysed the readability of branding symbols and histomorphological alterations at the branding sites. A total of 248 horses in an equestrian championship were available for identification of symbols and numbers. A further 28 horses, euthanased for other reasons, provided histological examination of the branding site. All except one horse...
Cardo MV, Vezzani D.Targeted vector surveillance informed by data on mosquito biting patterns can help limit arboviral zoonotic diseases. To characterise host-biting networks in rural and urban equestrian facilities from temperate Argentina, adult resting mosquitoes were collected (December 2018-April 2019) with a battery-powered aspirator. Engorged females were sorted to species, and their blood source was identified using molecular techniques. Bipartite network analysis was performed for rural and urban matrices. A total of 177 bloodmeals from 11 mosquito species of Aedes and Culex were identified, with seven m...
Andrews FM, White SL, Williamson LH, Maykuth PL, Geiser DR, Green EM, Ralston SL, Mannsman RA.Thirty-four horses competing in the Endurance Test of a 3-day-event were divided into 3 groups: horses in Group 1 (n = 15) competing in a 3.5 min steeplechase phase; horses in Group 2 (n = 13) in a 3 min steeplechase phase (Phase B) and horses in Group 3 (n = 6) in a 2.5 min steeplechase phase. The shortening of Phase B was associated with a lengthening of Phase C so that the total distance of the event for all horses was 14,940 m. Bodyweight (BW) was measured and total body water (TBW) and water loss estimated. Blood samples were collected from the horses prior to the Endurance Test, at the e...
Minamijima Y, Kuroda T, Kamiya T, Sone Y, Wakuno A, Ito H, Nomura M, Leung GN, Kinoshita K, Yamada M.This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of tranexamic acid (TXA) in horses and estimate its irrelevant plasma and urine concentrations using the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) approach by applying the Pierre-Louis Toutain model. TXA was intravenously administered to eight thoroughbred mares, and plasma and urine TXA concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The quantified data were used to calculate the PK parameters of TXA in horses. The plasma elimination curves were best-fitted to a three-compartment model. Using the Toutain mo...
Ishii H, Ishikawa Y, Mizobe F, Nomura M, Yamanaka T, Tanabe S, Nagata SI, Yamada M, Leung GN.Osilodrostat is an inhibitor of 11-beta-hydroxylase (CYP11B) and is used for the treatment of Cushing's disease but also categorized as an anabolic agent. The use of osilodrostat is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first metabolic study of osilodrostat in equine plasma. Methods: Potential metabolites of osilodrostat were identified by differential analysis using data acquired from pre- and post-administration plasma samples after protein precipitation with liquid chromatography electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (...
Ohnuma K, Hirano-Kodaira M, Bannai M, Shimizu Y, Yamada M, Kinoshita K, Ngai-Wa Leung G, Ishii H.The abuse of prohibited peptide-based drugs with a broad spectrum of chemical characteristics poses a significant concern for the horseracing industry. Recently, there has been a notable increase in positive cases of small-peptide drugs reported in equine and canine sports. In addition to small peptides, large peptides (over 2 kDa) with structural diversity have also entered the market in increasing numbers as drugs for humans and livestock. However, the simultaneous analysis of both small- and large-peptide-based drugs is still challenging. In this study, a screening method was developed to c...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC.Fractures often occur due to equestrian activities with injury patterns varying by age. The purpose of this study was to investigate in detail fracture patterns and associated demographics in children due to equine activities. Methods: The US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried for all injuries with the consumer product code 1239 (horseback riding) from 2000 to 2023. Those <16 years old with fractures were extracted. Statistical analyses were performed with SUDAAN 11.0.01™ software to obtain national estimates. Results: There were an estimated 101,677 patients with a f...
Torell Palmquist G, Känsälä Alveheim N, Huot-Marchand F, Ashton L, Lewis V.This paper highlights and summarizes the experiences and perceptions of European equestrian educational experts from a workshop held at the French National Riding School in Saumur. The workshop, which brought together fifty leading experts, aimed to address challenges in equestrian education, identify common ground, and share best practices. Using 'The World Café' method, the participants were divided into groups to discuss four key topics: the relationship between horses and humans, diversity of perspectives versus common ground, training philosophy, and social acceptability. A follow-up onl...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, Choi YC, Kwok WH, So YM, Farrington AF, Bond AJ, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.An increasing number of novel Fc-fusion proteins and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are being developed as therapeutic agents for treating various diseases. Among these, there are inhibitors of the activin Type II receptor (ActRIIA and ActRIIB) signaling pathways and mAbs against nerve growth factor (NGF), which may be misused for performance enhancement in horseracing and equestrian sports. This study is aimed at developing a generic detection method for doping control analysis of nine targeted proteins, each containing the Fc domain of human IgG or IgG from other species in equine plasma, name...
Cygańska AK, Giżewska B, Zdunek K.BACKGROUND Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) significantly reduces quality of life. During horseback riding, the movement of the horse's back affects the tension of the pelvic floor muscles. This study aimed to compare reported symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in women with past, current, and no history of horse show jumping. MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined 160 women (age 23.69±3.96 years). The cohort group consisted of 74 women training currently and training in the past, and a control group of 86 women not practicing horseback riding. The study used the original questionnaire and the Aust...
Faithfull R, Lewis K, Drury E, McBride S.Despite welfare concerns, conflict behaviours (indicative of momentary states of acute stress) are common in horses during dressage competitions. Identifying factors that affect conflict behaviours during competition therefore has the potential to improve equine welfare. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the effect of bridle type (double versus snaffle) in relation to other potential affecting factors (e.g., average head angle, competition level and type, tack variation) on conflict behaviours during dressage competition. An ethogram was created to analyse the conflict behaviour ...
Turcotte G, O'Sullivan TL, Rossi TM, Spence KL, Winder CB, Greer AL.Horses are frequently transported, creating opportunities for the spread of pathogens. Disease transmission models for equine infectious diseases face limitations on their generalizability due to challenges in describing equine movement and the structure of their contact networks beyond simplistic assumptions. This study aimed to combine a stochastic, agent-based, SEIR model for equine influenza disease dynamics with an observed Ontario, Canada equine contact network structure to quantify the potential magnitude of equine influenza outbreaks in Ontario competition horses under different condit...
Musial F, Weiss T.Bit pressure and rein tension-induced mouth pain in horses have recently become a significant welfare concern, fueling debates within the equestrian community and beyond. Evidence indicates that bits can cause pain-related behaviors and even oral lesions. Although studying pressure-induced pain in animals is challenging, the similarities in the physiology of pain processing (nociception) across mammals suggest that it is reasonable to assume that pain perception in humans and horses is principally comparable. Therefore, we compared human pressure pain detection thresholds (PPDTs) to reported r...
Duma LA, Begonia MT, Miller B, Jung C, Wood M, Duma BG, Rowson S.The current equestrian helmet standards set minimal requirements for passing helmets, highlighting the need for a rating system that differentiates helmets based on their impact performance. This study's objectives were to compare equestrian helmet impact response kinematics between linear-driven and oblique impact conditions and then to evaluate the effect of incorporating oblique drop tests into a previously established equestrian helmet rating system, Equestrian STAR. Methods: Oblique drop tests were conducted with 45 equestrian helmet models at two impact locations, front boss and rear bos...
Meyer C, Gabriel F, Schrum K, Hollis M, Short M, Gould S.Airbag vests (AV) are increasingly popular in equestrian sports. The efficacy of AV in protecting against serious injury has not been adequately analyzed, nor have product testing standards been established. This study provides an overview of current research to understand AV efficacy and future areas of improvement. A systematic review applying the PRISMA framework, NIH Study Quality Assessment, and CEBM Level of Evidence was conducted. Employing variations of "equestrian sport," "powered two-wheeled vehicle," "thoracic injury," "chest deflection," "airbag vest," and "safety vest," 18 article...
