Eventing is an equestrian sport that involves a single horse and rider combination competing across three distinct disciplines: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Each phase tests different skills and attributes of both horse and rider, requiring versatility, endurance, and precision. Dressage evaluates the horse's obedience, flexibility, and harmony with the rider through a series of predetermined movements. Cross-country challenges the horse's stamina, speed, and jumping ability over varied terrain and obstacles. Show jumping assesses the horse's agility and accuracy over a course of fences within an arena. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the training, performance, and physiological impacts of eventing on horses, as well as the factors influencing success in this multifaceted sport.
Walz KR, McCormick ME, Fedorka CE.Breed bias exists within many of the top disciplines of equestrian sport. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of breed on performance at the CCI5*-L level of eventing. To do so, the results of all CCI5*-L events from 2014 to 2024 were assessed. Initially, Thoroughbreds were compared to all non-Thoroughbreds, and this was followed by assessing the ten primary breeds. Data included penalties accrued in dressage, cross country, show jumping, and overall. Additionally, the likelihood of completing each phase was assessed. It was found that Thoroughbreds accrued mor...
Bacon EK, Parnell D, Muscatello G, McElroy J, Velie BD.The ongoing discussion surrounding the well-being of retired racehorses underscores the importance of implementing effective rehoming strategies that prioritise animal welfare. A significant knowledge gap persists regarding whether a horse's success in racing can be used to reliably predict its performance in different equestrian sports upon retirement from racing. Objective: To examine the association between racehorse performance metrics and eventing metrics in off-the-track Thoroughbreds that compete in eventing within Australia. Methods: Racing metrics and eventing metrics for a sample of ...
Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Pongnarudech P, Suchairat T, Jitsopin S, Wanichayanon B, Rattanakarn D, Jantakanangkoon P, Jaraswutiwong T, Kalanuson N....Horses competing in eventing competitions encounter significant challenges that increase their risk of severe injuries and metabolic disorders. Numerous studies have focused on the risk of such injuries and disorders during the cross-country segment. While one study has examined autonomic responses during this segment, research on these responses across all three phases of competition, particularly during one-day events, is still limited. The objective of this study was to analyse the autonomic responses of horses by measuring heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) during three exerc...
Reemtsma FP, Giers J, Horstmann S, Stoeckle SD, Gehlen H.Amino acid (AA) metabolism and the adaptation of muscles to increased physical performance are interdependent. This field study examined changes in plasma amino acid (PAA) concentrations and two metabolites (ammonia and urea) before and after cross-country (CC) competitions throughout an entire eventing season and their associations with performance outcomes in eventing horses. Twenty horses from nine different Warmblood breeds were evaluated between two and seven times across 14 international eventing competitions over a 23-week period. A total of 55 rides were sampled. Blood samples were col...
Gould S, Roy IR, Gabriel FD, Lowe R, Lin CY.Equestrian sports are associated with high rates of major injury compared to collision and powered two-wheel sports. Advancements in rider and horse safety equipment and the implementation of comprehensive emergency action planning standards may help mitigate injuries, particularly in regard to the Olympic disciplines of dressage, show jumping, and three-day eventing covered in this review. Personal safety equipment to consider includes helmets, safety and air vests, and horse tack including safety stirrups, acoustic dampeners, and breakaway reins. Equestrian event medical coverage requires em...
Gómez MD, Sánchez-Guerrero MJ, Perdomo-González DI, Ripollés-Lobo M, Bartolomé E, Valera M.This study evaluates performance data and genetic merit of the main horse populations competing in Olympic disciplines in Spain and examines their implications for the optimization of official Breeding Programs. Performance records from 2004-2023 were analyzed, including 101,093 participations in Dressage, 319,000 in Show Jumping, and 17,535 in Eventing. These records were combined with pedigree information from 35,589 horses in Dressage, 33,935 in Show Jumping, and 12,102 in Eventing and evaluated using BLUP animal models to obtain standardized Estimated Breeding Values (EBV; mean 100 ± 20) ...
