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.
Di Tocco J, Sabbadini R, Raiano L, Fani F, Ripani S, Schena E, Formica D, Massaroni C.In recent years, wearable devices for physiological parameter monitoring in sports and physical activities have been gaining momentum. In particular, some studies have focused their attention on using available commercial monitoring systems mainly on horses during training sessions or competitions. Only a few studies have focused on the jockey's physiological and kinematic parameters. Although at a glance, it seems jockeys do not make a lot of effort during riding, it is quite the opposite. Indeed, especially during competitions, they profuse a short but high intensity effort. To this extend, ...
Toma M, Pandya YH, Dongre D, Nizich M.There is a multitude of whips and riding crops. It is assumed that the whip in Thoroughbred racing must be padded and designed to be energy-absorbing. The new whips have a cushion made of softer material to be presumably more ethical when used on the horses. This study quantifies the forces exerted on a flat target plate using three different riding crops. The goal is to comparatively determine which one is less likely to leave a mark on the equine skin when the same bending level of the crop cores is achieved. Counterintuitively, it is shown that the riding crop even when its popper is made o...
Mizobe F, Takahashi Y, Kusano K.Jockey safety is of paramount importance from the standpoint of welfare and public perception. Thus, an understanding of the epidemiology and associated risk factors is necessary to implement measures to reduce the jockey falls (JFs) and jokey injuries (JIs). This descriptive epidemiological study investigated the occurrence of JFs and JIs in 715,210 and 25,183 rides in flat and jump races, respectively, from 2003 to 2017. In flat races, the incidence rates of JFs and JIs were 1.4 and 0.6 per 1,000 rides, respectively. In jump races, they were 44.4 and 18.1 per 1,000 rides, respectively. In fl...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Hamilton NA, Kusano K, Nagata SI.Gene doping is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports. In previous studies, we developed non-targeted transgene and genome editing detection methods based on whole genome resequencing (WGR) using genomic DNA extracted from whole blood. In this study, we aimed to develop a WGR method using DNA extracts from hair roots. Hair roots are a preferred substrate because their collection is less invasive than blood collection. Hair is also easier to store for long periods of time. Although almost all genomic DNA extracted from hair root samples stored for years at room temperature was degraded...
Burattini B, Fenner K, Anzulewicz A, Romness N, McKenzie J, Wilson B, McGreevy P.The broad traits of boldness and independence in domestic horses can affect their usefulness and, indirectly, their welfare. The objective of the current study was to explore associations between attributes that reflect equine boldness and independence with both the age of horses and the age at which they were started under saddle, as well as other variables including breed, colour and primary equestrian discipline. All data were sourced from responses (n = 1940) to the 97-question online Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ). Twenty E-BARQ items from the dataset were...
Demarie S, Galvani C, Billat VL.The aim of the present study was to quantify the impact of training restrictions, due to COVID-19 sanitary emergency, on physical and emotional strain of horse-riding Eventing competitions before and after eight weeks of lockdown. Performance was assessed by the penalty points attained, anxiety by the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, strain by the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) method. Moreover, Heart Rate was continuously monitored for fifty-four female national level Eventing horse-riders. Lockdown decreased performance outcome of horse-riders in Eventing competitions up to six wee...
Pereira EL, Bataglion GA, Mazo JZ.Based on the theoretical assumptions of Norbert Elias, we sought to understand the figurations of equine-assisted therapy in Rio Grande do Sul from 1970 to 2000. To this end, the research corpus consisted of official documents, newspapers and magazines. Based on the concept of figuration, the documentation analyzed demonstrated technical-scientific elements linked to the fields of healthcare, education and horseback riding, coming from equestrianism and shared in the practice of equine-assisted therapy. The interrelations established between these different areas allowed the practice to take o...
Marin F.Motion is key to health and wellbeing, something we are particularly aware of in times of lockdowns and restrictions on movement. Considering the motion of humans and animals as a biomarker of the performance of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, its analysis covers a large array of research fields, such as sports, equine science and clinical applications, but also innovative methods and workplace analysis. In this Special Issue of Sensors, we focused on human and animal motion-tracking using inertial sensors. Ten research and two review papers, mainly on human movement, but also on the locomot...
Baillet H, Leroy D, Vérin E, Delpouve C, Boulanger J, Benguigui N, Komar J, Thouvarecq R.The present research aims at quantifying the impact of practicing a new coordination pattern with an online visual feedback on the postural coordination performed on a mechanical horse. Forty-four voluntary participants were recruited in this study. They were randomly assigned to four practice groups based on i) with or without feedback (i.e., group 1, control, did not receive the feedback; group 2, 3 and 4 received an online feedback during practice) and ii) the specific trunk/horse coordination to target during practice (group 1, target coordination = 180° (without feedback); group 2, targe...
MacKechnie-Guire R, Fisher M, Pfau T.Using a half pad beneath a saddle can be beneficial for improving saddle fit. However, there is a paucity of evidence on half pad use when used beneath a correctly fitted saddle. The aim was to quantify the effect that three different half pads have on pressure distribution beneath a saddle fitted following industry guidelines. Twelve nonlame horses were ridden by experienced riders in sitting trot and canter on each rein (three repeats). Saddle fit, with a high-withered cotton saddle cloth (control) compared with three half pads (viscoelastic gel, wool, and medical-grade, closed-cell foam), w...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, Lin VYC, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.The misuse of genetic manipulation technology to enhance athletic performance is termed gene doping which is prohibited in human sports, horseracing, and equestrian sports. Although many qPCR assays have been developed, most assays employ genomic DNA (gDNA) from humans, non-human primates, and mice as a background and they may not be applicable for testing horse samples. This study aimed to develop a qPCR assay for the detection of human erythropoietin (hEPO) transgene in horse blood cells where the viral vectors used in gene therapy can reside for months. For the detection of hEPO transgene, ...
Bornmann T, Williams J, Richardson K.The impact of head and neck position (HNP) on horse welfare has received much attention in the scientific literature within the last two decades. Studies have identified physiological and behavioral signs of distress in horses ridden for prolonged time in an HNP with their noseline behind the vertical (BTV), which may compromise their welfare. The objective of this study was to compare potential differences of HNPs shown in horse sales photographs advertised in an Australian horse sales magazine (Horse Deals) from the years 2005 and 2018. In addition, factors potentially impacting HNPs, such a...
Pérez-Manrique L, León-Pérez K, Zamora-Sánchez E, Davies S, Ober C, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Restrictive nosebands are used in equestrian sports to hold the bit in place and reduce mouth-opening, a response that can attract penalties in some sports and is thought to reduce the rider's control of the horse. Sustained pressure from such tightly fitted (restrictive) nosebands denies normal behaviour and thus, causes frustration and distress that can jeopardise horse welfare. It also may push the cheek against the molar teeth, compress soft tissues including blood vessels and nerves, and possibly induce chronic changes to underlying bone. This study of mature cavalry horses (n = 144) was ...
Ryan KD, Brodine J, Pothast J, McGoldrick A.Horseracing is among the most popular and increasingly lucrative industry sports in the nation. The average jockey must control a thoroughbred horse 10 times their weight that may act unpredictably whether at rest or full gallop resulting in falls, kicks, or even biting injuries. Despite the risks, jockeys do not have access to the same quality of medical care that is standard in similarly profitable sports organizations. Beyond the mental and physical demands of training and performance endured by any professional athlete, jockeys are confronted with health challenges unique to their sport. I...
Hanousek K, Salavati M, Dunkel B.Limited research has been undertaken to determine the impact of horse age, sex, and number of riders on horse performance in British Eventing (BE) horse trials. Improved understanding of this can aid professionals in planning a competition horse's career. To investigate the impact of age, sex, and number of riders on the peak performance of horses at each of the main levels of BE competitions. The best score from each horse competing in BE horse trials in the years 2008-2018 was recorded, and principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. Basic data analysis was used to i...
Wilkins CA, Nankervis K, Protheroe L, Draper SB.Static assessment and grouping of riders by competition level are prevalent in equestrian coaching practice and research. This study explored sagittal pelvic tilt in 35 competitive dressage riders to analyse the relationship between static and dynamic postures and assess the interaction of competition level. Riders were assessed using optical motion capture on a riding simulator at halt and in walk, trot, and left and right canter. Mean, minimum and maximum pelvic tilt, and range of motion (ROM) were measured as the pitch rotation of a rigid body formed by markers placed on the rider's left/ri...
Elmeua González M, Šarabon N.Equestrian sports have been a source of numerous studies throughout the past two decades, however, few scientists have focused on the biomechanical effects, including muscle activation, that the horse has on the rider. Because equitation is a sport of two (the horse-human dyad), we believe there is a need to fill in the knowledge gap in human biomechanics during riding. To investigate the differences between novice and advanced riders at a neuromuscular level we characterized the motor output of a set of riders' key muscles during horse riding. Six recreational riders (24 ± 7 years) and nine ...
Ishii H, Leung GN, Yamashita S, Yamada M, Kushiro A, Kasashima Y, Okada J, Kawasaki K, Kijima-Suda I.GW1516 is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ agonist in the class of hormones and metabolic modulators. The use of GW1516 is banned in both horseracing and equestrian competitions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first metabolic study of GW1516 in horses. Methods: After protein precipitation of pre- and post-administration plasma GW1516 samples, the supernatants were analyzed using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization Q-Exactive high-resolution mass spectrometry to detect GW1516 and its metabolites. Monoisotopic ions of GW1516 and its metabolites were monitored ...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Takasu M, Nakamura K, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirora KI, Tamura N, Kusano K, Nagata SI.Gene doping has raised concerns in human and equestrian sports and the horseracing industry. There are two possible types of gene doping in the sports and racing industry: (1) administration of a gene-doping substance to postnatal animals and (2) generation of genetically engineered animals by modifying eggs. In this study, we aimed to identify genetically engineered animals by whole-genome resequencing (WGR) for gene-doping control. Transgenic cell lines, in which the erythropoietin gene (EPO) cDNA form was inserted into the genome of horse fibroblasts, were constructed as a model of genetica...
Stapley ED, Stutzman BE, Manfredi JM.The stirrup iron has the potential to modify the forces experienced by a horse and rider during ridden exercise. A range of stirrup designs are available, but no previous studies have investigated if these modifications influence riders' position and interaction with the horse. Novel flexible (F) or flexible and rotatable (FR) irons versus traditional (T) stirrups may positively impact the welfare and performance of the horse and rider. Four riders rode using the three stirrup types (T, F, and FR). Hip, knee, and ankle angles and toe position from film, and the normal force exerted bilaterally...
Kiely M, Warrington GD, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Cullen S.Kiely, M, Warrington, GD, McGoldrick, A, Pugh, J, and Cullen, S. Physiological demands of professional flat and jump horse racing. J Strength Cond Res 34(8): 2173-2177, 2020-No information is currently available on the effect of race distance on the physiological demands of jockeys. This study aimed to quantify the respective demands of short and long flat and jump race distances. Twenty professional jockeys (10 flat and 10 jump) participated in the study. The subjects initially performed a graded incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill to determine the peak heart rat...
Stier R, Tavassol F, Dupke C, Rüter M, Jehn P, Gellrich NC, Spalthoff S.The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of the mechanism of trauma (fall versus kick), rider demographics, equestrian experience, protective equipment, and whether or not a horse was shod on the anatomic site of a horse-related maxillofacial fracture, operating time, postoperative complication rate, and length of hospital stay. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients treated for horse-related maxillofacial fractures at a single institution in Germany between January 2000 and March 2015. We used linear and logistic regression to test the above-mentioned...
Kwok KY, Choi TLS, Kwok WH, Lau MY, Leung EMK, Leung GNW, Wong JKY, Wan TSM, Adrian FF, Prabhu A, Ho ENM.The use of bioactive peptides as a doping agent in both human and animal sports has become increasingly popular in recent years. As such, methods to control the misuse of bioactive peptides in equine sports have received attention. This paper describes a sensitive accurate mass method for the detection of 40 bioactive peptides and two non-peptide growth hormone secretagogues (< 2 kDa) at low pg/mL levels in horse urine using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/HRMS). A simple mixed-mode cation exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge was...
Leung DKK, Wong ASY, Zhou QL, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.A non-target variable Data Independent Acquisition (vDIA) workflow based on accurate mass measurements using a Q Exactive OrbiTrap is presented for the first time for equine doping control testing. The vDIA workflow uses a combination of MS1 events (1 to 2) and multiple vDIA events to cover the analytes of interest. The workflow basically captures a digital image of a sample allowing all relevant MS1 and MS2 data to be recorded. In theory, the workflow can accommodate an unlimited number of analytes as long as they are amenable to the sample extraction protocol and fall within the mass limits ...
Entenfellner J, Gahan J, Garvey M, Walsh C, Venner M, Cullinane A.The international governing body of equestrian sports requires that horses be vaccinated against equine influenza within 6 months and 21 days of competing. The aim of this study was to compare the antibody response of young sport horses to six-monthly booster vaccination with equine influenza vaccines of different formulations. An inactivated vaccine was allocated to 35 horses and subunit and recombinant vaccines were allocated to 34 horses each. After vaccination, all horses were monitored for evidence of adverse reactions. Whole blood samples were collected at the time of vaccination and on ...
There are several bioengineering solutions aimed at improving human health and welfare. Smart electrodes based on textile substrates have met the growing demand for comfort, reliability, and robustness when acquiring physiological signals. Objective: Given the importance of good quality electrocardiograms (ECG) in equine sports medicine, this study focuses on the validation of smart textile electrodes to acquire ECG signals in horses during treadmill exercise. Methods: The performance of the smart textile electrodes is compared with standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes in terms...
Schwarzmüller-Erber G, Stummer H, Maier M, Kundi M.Connectedness to nature and nature contact can provide many benefits to humans, like stress reduction, recovery from illness, and increased positive emotions. Likewise, recreational horseback riding is a widespread sports activity with the potential to enhance physical and psychological health. Yet, the influence of connectedness to nature on the wellbeing of older aged recreational horseback riders has not been investigated so far. The aim of the present study therefore was to explore the relationship between nature relatedness and physical, psychological and social wellbeing and happiness. T...
Klein DJ, Anthony TG, McKeever KH.metabolomics is the high-throughput, multiparametric identification and classification of hundreds of low molecular weight metabolites in a biological sample. Ultimately, metabolites are the downstream readouts of cellular signalling, transcriptomic and proteomic changes that can provide a comprehensive view of tissue and organismal phenotype. The popularity of metabolomics in human sport and exercise has been gaining over the past decade and has provided important insights into the energetic demands and mechanistic underpinnings of exercise and training. To the contrary, metabolomics in the f...
Webb HJ, Weston JF, Norman EJ, Cogger N, Bolwell CF, Rogers CW.Training measures, particularly those that examine the interactions between training volume, speed, and recovery, can improve understanding of training practices that contribute to success and avoid adverse horse welfare outcomes in endurance competitions. This study describes the training of Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) 100-160 km level horses in New Zealand. A convenience sample of 16 participants and 25 horses were surveyed before commencement of training. Participants then reported daily data for an entire nine-month season of training and competition. Participants began the...
Hitchens PL, Blizzard CL, Jones G, Day L, Fell J.Riding thoroughbred racehorses is a hazardous occupation. In this study, we investigated risk factors associated with falls by licensed thoroughbred racing jockeys participating in flat races conducted in Australia. Methods: Data on race-day falls were extracted from stewards' reports. Denominator data were provided by Racing Information Services Australia on races conducted in Australia from August 2002 until July 2006. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Poisson regression. Analyses were stratified by race grade (maiden, class, open/restricted). Results: In multivariable analys...
Kiely M, Warrington GD, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Cullen S.Kiely, M, Warrington, GD, McGoldrick, A, Pugh, J, and Cullen, S. Physiological demands of professional flat and jump horse racing. J Strength Cond Res 34(8): 2173-2177, 2020-No information is currently available on the effect of race distance on the physiological demands of jockeys. This study aimed to quantify the respective demands of short and long flat and jump race distances. Twenty professional jockeys (10 flat and 10 jump) participated in the study. The subjects initially performed a graded incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill to determine the peak heart rat...
Munk R, Jensen RB, Palme R, Munksgaard L, Christensen JW.The main objective of this explorative study was to describe the relationship between competition scores and salivary cortisol concentrations in young horses during dressage and showjumping competitions. The study also investigated whether the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol concentrations was affected by competition over consecutive days compared with the home environment. Saliva samples were collected from 126 dressage horses and showjumpers in their home environment and at 3 different events. The relationship between scores given by judges at the competition and cortisol concentrations ...
Domino M, Borowska M, Trojakowska A, Kozłowska N, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Smyth G, Maśko M.Appropriate matching of rider-horse sizes is becoming an increasingly important issue of riding horses' care, as the human population becomes heavier. Recently, infrared thermography (IRT) was considered to be effective in differing the effect of 10.6% and 21.3% of the rider:horse bodyweight ratio, but not 10.1% and 15.3%. As IRT images contain many pixels reflecting the complexity of the body's surface, the pixel relations were assessed by image texture analysis using histogram statistics (HS), gray-level run-length matrix (GLRLM), and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) approaches. The st...
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...
Guan F, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Luo Y, Rudy J, Tobin T.Anabolic androgenic steroids are related to the male sex hormones and are abused in equine sports. In an effort to deter the abuse of anabolic steroids, a sensitive LC-MS/MS method was developed for detection, quantification and confirmation of eight major anabolic steroids (testosterone, normethandrolone, nandrolone, boldenone, methandrostenolone, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), trenbolone, and stanozolol) in equine plasma. Formation of solvent adduct ions of the analytes was observed under electrospray ionization (ESI) conditions, and desolvation of the solvent adduct ions by source collision-in...
Gass M, Kühl S, Connert T, Filippi A.Showjumping is one of the sporting activities with a high injury risk. Unpredictable behaviour of the horse, considerable speed and the height of the rider in the saddle make this sport to one of the most dangerous, with the highest risk of injury and the highest mortality rate per competitor. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dental trauma, the wearing of protective gear such as helmet, back protector and mouthguard as well as the knowledge of primary care after dental trauma. Methods: Within the framework of this study, 608 female and male showjumpers from Switzerland, ...
Lönnell AC, Bröjer J, Nostell K, Hernlund E, Roepstorff L, Tranquille CA, Murray RC, Oomen A, van Weeren R, Bitschnau C, Montavon S, Weishaupt MA....Training regimens of showjumping horses under field conditions are largely undocumented. Objective: The aims of this study were to quantify and compare training regimens used in professional-level showjumping yards, with respect to time exercised and type of activity. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: A prospective 6-month cohort study of showjumping horses in 4 European countries (The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain) was designed to analyse training and health data, in yards with several horses in training and riders competing at professional level. Riders documented...
Ho EN, Chan GH, Wan TS, Curl P, Riggs CM, Hurley MJ, Sykes D.Cobalt is a well-established inducer of hypoxia-like responses, which can cause gene modulation at the hypoxia inducible factor pathway to induce erythropoietin transcription. Cobalt salts are orally active, inexpensive, and easily accessible. It is an attractive blood doping agent for enhancing aerobic performance. Indeed, recent intelligence and investigations have confirmed cobalt was being abused in equine sports. In this paper, population surveys of total cobalt in raceday samples were conducted using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Urinary threshold of 75 ng/mL a...
Meredith K, Bolwell CF, Rogers CW, Gee EK.To obtain data on the use of allied health therapy within competitive equestrian sport in the North Island of New Zealand. Methods: Data were collected during January 2010 by survey at show jumping and dressage championships in the North Island, and from racing yards in the Central Districts of New Zealand. The survey consisted of 30 open, closed and multiple-choice questions, and was conducted face-to-face, by the same interviewer. Information on the demographics of riders or trainers and horses in each discipline (show jumping, dressage, and Thoroughbred racing), the use of allied health the...
Hernlund E, Egenvall A, Hobbs SJ, Peterson ML, Northrop AJ, Bergh A, Martin JH, Roepstorff L.The development of safety and quality standards for equestrian surfaces needs to be based on objective, repeatable measurements which allow comparisons between surfaces. These measurements should incorporate the assessment of surface performance by riders. This study provides data from objective and subjective assessment of functional properties of high-level show jumping competition and warm-up arenas. Twenty-five arenas in nine international show jumping events were evaluated by mechanical in-situ testing with a surface tester, rider assessments using visual analogue scales (198 riders provi...
O'Connor S, Warrington G, Whelan G, McGoldrick A, Cullen S.To examine concussion history, knowledge, and attitudes among Irish professional and amateur jockeys. Cross-sectional survey. Questionnaire was distributed through e-mails sent to all licensed jockeys, over social media and during professional and amateur race meetings. An average of 23.6% (12%-44%) Irish professional and amateur jockeys (n = 119) holding a license in 2017. Jockeys reported their previous concussion history, actions after their most recent concussion and responded to questions examining their knowledge and attitudes toward concussion. Amateur (32.4%) and professional (19.6%) j...
Waller CC, McLeod MD.In recent years, the potential for anabolic steroid abuse in equine sports has increased due to the growing availability of designer steroids. These compounds are readily accessible online in 'dietary' or 'nutritional' supplements and contain steroidal compounds which have never been tested or approved as veterinary agents. They typically have unusual structures or substitution and as a result may pass undetected through current anti-doping screening protocols, making them a significant concern for the integrity of the industry. Despite considerable focus in human sports, until recently there ...
Rose RJ, Ilkiw JE, Martin IC.The effects of prolonged strenuous exercise on arterial and venous oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, pH, bicarbonate, standard bicarbonate, base excess, haemoglobin, packed cell volume and total plasma protein were studied in 36 horses during a 100 km endurance ride. There were significant changes in many parameters when pre-ride values were compared with both mid-ride and end of ride values. The prominent changes were the development of dehydration and a metabolic alkalosis. At the mid-ride sampling time those horses with higher heart rates had a greater degree of metabolic alkalosis th...
Forero Rueda MA, Cui L, Gilchrist MD.Jockey head injuries, especially concussions, are common in horse racing. Current helmets do help to reduce the severity and incidences of head injury, but the high concussion incidence rates suggest that there may be scope to improve the performance of equestrian helmets. Finite element simulations in ABAQUS/Explicit were used to model a realistic helmet model during standard helmeted rigid headform impacts and helmeted head model University College Dublin Brain Trauma Model (UCDBTM) impacts. Current helmet standards for impact determine helmet performance based solely on linear acceleration....
Veen I, Killian D, Vlaminck L, Vernooij JCM, Back W.Debate surrounds the use of high rein tension for obtaining different head and neck positions in the training of sport horses on account of possible welfare issues. Objective: To compare auxiliary rein tension in two methods (Draw Reins and Concord Leader) for obtaining a standardised head and neck position on a hard and a soft surface. Methods: Intervention study. Methods: Left and right rein tensions were measured in 11 base-level trained client-owned sport horses (mean age ± s.d.; 10 ± 3.2 years) exercised in-hand with, in a random order, conventional draw reins or the newly developed Con...
Toutain PL.In racing and other equine sports, it is possible to increase artificially both the physical capability and the presence of a competitive instinct, using drugs, such as anabolic steroids and agents stimulating the central nervous system. The word doping describes this illegitimate use of drugs and the primary motivation of an equine anti-doping policy is to prevent the use of these substances. However, an anti-doping policy must not impede the use of legitimate veterinary medications and most regulatory bodies in the world now distinguish the control of illicit substances (doping control) from...
Ely ER, Price JS, Smith RK, Wood JL, Verheyen KL.A previous study has identified exercise undertaken during training to be associated with racing performance in flat racehorses. However, no such studies have been conducted in National Hunt (NH) horses. Objective: To determine whether exercise undertaken during training is associated with racing performance in NH racehorses. Methods: Data were collected as part of a larger study investigating injury occurrence in NH racehorses. Race records and daily exercise data were obtained from NH racehorses at 14 training yards. Canter, gallop and race distances accumulated in the 30 days preceding a 'c...
Schmidt B, Mayr J, Fasching G, Nöres H.The rate of pediatric equestrian injuries is relatively low, but the severity of injuries is greater than in many other pediatric sport activities. In a 4-year period the charts of 109 patients up through the age of 15 years, who were admitted for equestrian-related injuries were reviewed. Falls from horses are the most frequent cause of injuries and responsible for their anatomic localization and type of injury. In our study the upper extremity was the most common (38%) area injured and head injuries comprised the second largest group with 36%. Forty percent of all injuries were fractures, 72...
Figueiredo EA, Belangero PS, Cohen C, Louchard RL, Terra BB, Pochini AC, Andreoli CV, Cohen M, Ejnisman B.The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological data and evaluate the clinical results of traumatic anterior glenohumeral instability in rodeo athletes. Methods: Thirteen patients, all male, with a mean age of 23.2 (18-31) years old, with anterior glenohumeral instability were include in this study. In 9 patients, the right side was affected. The mean time elapsed between injury and undergoing surgery was 56 months (24-120 months). The surgical technique used (arthroscopic or open bone block procedure) was chosen based on the ISIS (Instability Severity Index Score). Only professional ath...
Pérez-Manrique L, León-Pérez K, Zamora-Sánchez E, Davies S, Ober C, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Restrictive nosebands are used in equestrian sports to hold the bit in place and reduce mouth-opening, a response that can attract penalties in some sports and is thought to reduce the rider's control of the horse. Sustained pressure from such tightly fitted (restrictive) nosebands denies normal behaviour and thus, causes frustration and distress that can jeopardise horse welfare. It also may push the cheek against the molar teeth, compress soft tissues including blood vessels and nerves, and possibly induce chronic changes to underlying bone. This study of mature cavalry horses (n = 144) was ...
Cravana C, Medica P, Prestopino M, Fazio E, Ferlazzo A.Limited knowledge exists about the differentiated effects of competitive and noncompetitive showjumping on thyroid function and relationships with hypothalamic-hypophysis-corticoadrenal hormones. Objective: To obtain preliminary data about differentiated effects of competitive and noncompetitive showjumping on total and free iodothyronines, β-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol of horses. Methods: Five trained healthy jumper horses were studied during competitive and noncompetitive showjumping, performed in the same circuit design over 10 fences of 1.10 m. Hormone levels before, 5 and 30 min post ex...
Haigh L, Thompson K.Equestrian activities pose significant head injury risks to participants. Yet, helmet use is not mandatory in Australia outside of selected competitions. Awareness of technical countermeasures and the dangers of equestrian activities has not resulted in widespread adoption of simple precautionary behaviors like helmet use. Until the use of helmets whilst riding horses is legislated in Australia, there is an urgent need to improve voluntary use. To design effective injury prevention interventions, the factors affecting helmet use must first be understood. To add to current understandings of the...
Hessler C, Eckert V, Meiners J, Jürgens C, Reicke B, Matthes G, Ekkernkamp A, Püschel K.Horse riding is associated with a high rate of injuries. The possibilities of prevention are limited because of deficient knowledge about the causes and mechanisms of equine-related accidents. In the present study 198 equine-related accidents were analyzed and based on these data risk groups were identified and guidelines to improve safety in horse riding were formulated. Methods: In this 2-center study the accidents of 169 riders over a period of 12 months were analyzed. Data on equine-related patterns of injury and the resulting treatment were collated from the clinical records. Additionally...
Bernhang AM, Winslett G.In brief: It has always been assumed that participants in equestrian sports are at high risk of serious injury and that minor injuries are common. This study of American Horse Shows Association and United States Pony Clubs horse shows tried to determine if shows are as safe as or safer than other sports, what the accident rate is for horse shows, if any factors influence the accident rate, and what types of accidents and injuries occur. There were 290 reported injuries and two deaths in the 984 responding shows. The accident rate per entry was 0.0003. There was no statistically significant rel...
Agar C, Gemmill R, Hollands T, Freeman SL.The aim of the study was to determine which types of nutritional supplements were used in dressage and eventing horses, and the reasons that owners used supplements. An online questionnaire was distributed through British Eventing and Dressage websites, to collect data on demographics of owners and their horses, supplements used and their opinion on health and performance problems. Data were evaluated using descriptive analysis, Sign and Fisher's exact tests for quantitative data, and categorisation of qualitative data. In total, 599 responses met the inclusion criteria (441 dressage and 158 e...
