Horseback riding involves the practice of riding, managing, and interacting with horses, encompassing a variety of disciplines and styles. It requires understanding equine behavior, anatomy, and the use of appropriate riding equipment. Common disciplines within horseback riding include dressage, show jumping, eventing, and western riding, each with its own set of techniques and traditions. The study of horseback riding extends to areas such as biomechanics, rider-horse communication, and the impact of riding on equine welfare. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the techniques, effects, and practices associated with horseback riding, providing insights into its influence on both rider and horse.
The American surgeonOctober 13, 2021
Volume 89, Issue 4 875-880 doi: 10.1177/00031348211048836
Bhade P, Parsons A, Smiley A, Shreffler J, Nash N, Baker J, Harbrecht B, Huecker M.The potential for significant traumatic injury to individuals who interact with horses remains high due to animal size, forces applied, and unpredictability. Despite an estimated 30 million riders in the United States annually, few recent publications have addressed this patient population. Objective: This study describes characteristics of patients injured in interactions with horses, focusing on mechanism of injury and use of protective equipment. Methods: We queried our institution's trauma registry for all patients admitted for equine-related injuries (ERI) between January 1, 2013 and Dece...
Eerdekens A, Deruyck M, Fontaine J, Damiaans B, Martens L, De Poorter E, Govaere J, Plets D, Joseph W.Equine training activity detection will help to track and enhance the performance and fitness level of riders and their horses. Currently, the equestrian world is eager for a simple solution that goes beyond detecting basic gaits, yet current technologies fall short on the level of user friendliness and detection of main horse training activities. To this end, we collected leg accelerometer data of 14 well-trained horses during jumping and dressage trainings. For the first time, 6 jumping training and 25 advanced horse dressage activities are classified using specifically developed models base...
Chang HJ, Jung YG, Park YS, O SH, Kim DH, Kim CW.The horse riding simulator (HRS) reportedly has a beneficial effect on motor function and balance in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, by itself, the HRS is not a sufficient source of challenge and motivation for children. To address this issue, we combined the HRS with virtual reality (VR) to promote somatosensory stimulation and motivation. Sixteen children (ages: 5-17 years) with CP and presenting Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-IV were enrolled in the study. Using a head-mounted display and controllers, interventions were carried out over 30-min period...
Mutore K, Lim J, Fofana D, Torres-Reveron A, Skubic JJ.There is a paucity of evidence about traumatic injuries and their sequelae sustained due to equestrian injuries nationally. Methods: Retrospective study analyzing National Trauma Data Bank data from 2007 to 2016. Variables collected included age, sex, race, payer status, Injury Severity Score (ISS), hospital length of stay, Glasgow Coma Scale, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at presentation, discharge disposition, and mortality. Patient data were analyzed by anatomic region. Results: The most frequent type of injury was in the thorax, but head and neck injuries produced the highest mortality. In...
Nuchprayoon N, Ritruechai P, Watchararat K, Limroongruengrat W, Wongtawan T, Arya N.Hippotherapy in patients with neuromuscular dysfunction creates high focal pressure on the pony's back due to bareback riding and an asymmetrical riding position. This study aimed to investigate the acute effect of asymmetrical bareback riding on the pony's spinal kinematics, blood lactate, serum creatine kinase, heart rate, and temperament score. Eight ponies were selected, and they were walked on a treadmill for 45 min on each experimental day, including warm-up (5 min), weight-loading by mannequin (30 min), and cool-down (10 min) sessions. During the weight-loading session, three different ...
Nylund LE, Sinclair PJ, McLean AN, Cobley S.Cross-country eventing is one of the highest-risk sporting activities for serious injury outcomes. This study investigated relationships between fall characteristics and high-risk falls at jumps in cross-country eventing. A video analysis protocol was systematically developed to analyze 87 video recordings of high-risk rider falls; defined as when the rider's head impacted the ground and/or where there was potential horse impact with the rider. Falls were classified according to competition type, jump type, horse-related, and rider-related factors. At least one high-risk fall characteristic wa...
Rankins EM, Wickens CL, McKeever KH, Malinowski K.Little published information exists on the horses in equine-assisted services (EAS), particularly their selection, longevity, and retirement. The purpose of this study was to characterize horses and procedures used in EAS. A pilot survey was developed using focus group discussions and distributed to Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH Intl) centers in Florida ( = 45, Part I) before further modification and distribution to members of PATH Intl., American Hippotherapy Association (AHA), eagala, and Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) ( = 26,000, Part II...
Stanbouly D, Besmer AV, Chuang SK.The purpose of our study is to assess the severity of craniomaxillofacial injuries from horseback-riding accidents. Methods: This is a 20-year retrospective cross-sectional study of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Injuries from the activity of horseback-riding were included if they occurred in the craniomaxillofacial complex. Study predictors were derived from both patient and injury characteristics. The study outcome was the presence or absence (probability) of hospital admission from the emergency department. A multiple logistic regression model was created to model the o...
Prieto AV, Ayupe KMA, Abreu ACA, Filho PJBG.Improvement in rider mobility represents an important functional gain for people with disabilities undergoing hippotherapy. However, there is no validated measuring instrument to track and document the rider's progress in riding activities. In this study, we aimed to develop and establish validity evidence for an instrument to assess hippotherapy participants' mobility on horseback. We report on this development through the stages of: (a) content validation, (b) construct validation, (c) inter- and intra-rater reliability and (d) internal consistency analysis. We evaluated its factor structure...
Chen YT, Mills C, von Rickenbach KJ, McInnis KC.A 61-yr-old female equestrian presented after 2 wks of left medial thigh pain, which developed suddenly while exiting a car. She denied any history of recent trauma or falls. On examination, she was found to have tenderness at the left distal medial thigh with a palpable region of decreased tissue volume at the gracilis myotendinous junction. Point-of-care ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a high-grade partial thickness tear of the left distal gracilis at the myotendinous junction, as well as pes anserine bursal distention. She received physical therapy and underwent a 1-time...
Gehlen H, Puhlmann J, Merle R, Thöne-Reineke C.Auxiliary reins are commonly used for the training of riders and horses as well as in daily training. They are often criticized when used incorrectly, as they will not help and can harm the horse by causing overwork, accidents, and injuries, which harm the horse in the long term. They also often conceal causal rider problems while trying to achieve quick success. The aim of this paper was to investigate, with an online horse-owner questionnaire, which and how often auxiliary reins were used and whether they were used appropriately. Only participants who were currently using auxiliary reins wer...
Tabsuri T, Thawinchai N, Peansukmanee S, Lugade V.Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have poor postural control. Horseback riding (HR) is an alternative treatment shown to improve postural control among children with CP. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the underlying mechanisms responsible for improving postural control during HR. What are the three-dimensional biomechanical responses of the trunk and pelvis during HR among children with CP and with typical development (TD)? The participants, aged 4-12 years old, were inexperienced horseback riders, consisting of 10 children with TD and 10 children with spastic diplegia C...
Janczarek I, Kędzierski W, Tkaczyk E, Kaczmarek B, Łuszczyński J, Mucha K.This study aimed to assess the impact of various types of warm-up on the metacarpal and metatarsal surface temperature in jumping sport horses in comparison to leisure horses, which work usually less intensively. Six clinically healthy sport geldings, contestants in showjumping competitions, and six geldings used for leisure riding were included in the study. The experiment was conducted for four consecutive days, during which the horses were warmed up by walking and trotting for various durations. Images were taken with a FLUKE Ti9 thermal imager to determine the resting, post-effort, and rec...
Elte Y, Wolframm I, Nielen M, van Weeren R.The pressure on equine veterinarians to provide services that meet with a client's demands, that is, realizing client satisfaction, is considerable. Objective: The aim of this paper is to analyze existing literature, with a view to distill the most relevant components for client satisfaction in equine veterinary practice. Methods: A structured literature search was conducted. Included papers were systematically organised and analysed using an inductive approach. Results: Seven components relevant to client satisfaction in equine veterinary practice were identified: quality of care, quality of ...
Bornmann T, Randle H, Williams J.Happiness is a subjective feeling and associated with positive affective states that can indicate good welfare. It is becoming increasingly agreed that equestrians' ability to recognize indicators of positive emotions has the potential to enhance overall horse wellbeing, but research in this area is limited. Therefore, this study investigated equestrians' perceptions of horse happiness. A survey comprising 25 questions was distributed through equestrian-related social media (internationally) and yielded 332 valid responses. Frequency analysis was conducted within each factor category (e.g., ri...
Hogg RC, Hodgins GA.The horse-rider relationship is fundamental to ethical equestrianism wherein equine health and welfare are prioritized as core dimensions of sporting success. Equestrianism represents a unique and important form of interspecies activity in which relationships are commonly idealized as central to sporting performance but have been largely unexplored in the sport psychology literature. Horse-rider relationships warrant particular consideration in the elite sporting context, given the tension between constructions of "partnership" between horse and rider, and the pragmatic pressures of elite spor...
Francis AO, McCabe F, McCabe P, O'Daly BJ, Leonard M.Horse riding related accidents can present with devastating pelvic and acetabular fractures. This study examines the nature, management and treatment outcomes of severe pelvic and acetabular trauma in amateur horse riders presenting to a national tertiary referral centre. We also aim to define certain at-risk groups. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive cohort of all patients who were referred to the National Centre for Pelvic and Acetabular trauma resulting from horse riding accidents. All patients who were referred to the National Centre for Pelvic and Acetabular Trauma between Janu...
Eisersiö M, Byström A, Yngvesson J, Baragli P, Lanata A, Egenvall A.When a rider maintains contact on the reins, rein tension will vary continuously in synchronicity with the horse's gait and stride. This continuous variation makes it difficult to isolate the rein tension variations that represent a rein tension signal, complicating interpretation of rein tension data from the perspective of horse-rider interaction. This study investigated (1) the characteristics of a rein tension signal and (2) horse response to a rein tension signal for backing, comparing pressure applied by a bit (bridle), or by a noseband (halter). Twenty Warmblood horses (10 young, 10 adu...
Norwood MF, Lakhani A, Maujean A, Downes M, Fullagar S, Barber BL, Kendall E. Equine-assisted therapy may promote positive behavior change in young people "at risk." However, it is not always clear what therapeutic content is involved and if a trained therapist is included. The therapeutic effects of the key part of the "therapy," the horse, are not understood. To investigate the impact of an equine program without a therapist on attention and behavioral outcomes of young people "at risk." A within subjects pre-post design. A small sample also completed a control period. A small riding center in a rural area of outer Brisbane, Australia. Twelve- to 17-year olds (...
Bye TL, Lewis V.This study explored the relationship between footedness and postural asymmetry in equestrian riders. 28 female riders completed the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire- Revised (WFQ-R), giving a score for footedness. They then took part in a test on a riding simulator where measures of saddle force, stirrup force, and degree of lateral tilt of the pelvic, trunk, and shoulder segments were taken over a period of 20 seconds in trot. Symmetry indices were calculated for stirrup force and saddle force. There were no significant correlations between WFQ-R score and any of the measures of postural sym...
Ren C, Liu T, Zhang J.The use of horse-riding simulators in the treatment of chronic low back pain has drawn considerable attention for its efficacy and acceptability to reduce chronic low back pain; because of the similarities in movements provided by equine-assisted therapies and the possible accessibility advantages. However, the results are conflicting. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials to assess the impact of treatments based on horse-riding simulators on chronic low back pain. Methods: A systematic literature search up to January 2021 was performed and 11 studies were...
O'Reilly C, Zoller J, Sigler D, Vogelsang M, Sawyer J, Fluckey J.Despite the fact that horseback riding is a popular sport, there is little information available on horseback riding as a physical activity. The objective of this experiment was to quantify energy expenditure of participants (n=20) during three riding tests: a 45min walk-trot-canter ride (WTC), a reining pattern ride and a cutting simulation ride while wearing a telemetric gas analyzer. Total energy expenditure (tEE), mean and peak metabolic equivalents of task (MET), heart rate (HR), respiratory frequency (RF), relative oxygen consumption (relVO2), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were as...
Ahn B, Joung YS, Kwon JY, Lee DI, Oh S, Kim BU, Cha JY, Kim JH, Lee JY, Shin HY, Seo YS.Attention problems and decreased quality of life are frequently accompanied in Cerebral Palsy (CP), which can negatively affect rehabilitation of physical disability. However, the majority of affected children remain untreated in the aspects of attention or psychosocial factors. Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) use horse as a therapeutic modality including grooming as well as mounted riding activities in which patients exercise and experience mounted stimulation. It is known to help improve attention in children with ADHD, so that it can be an exercise therapy that is expected t...
Buchanan FR, Cardenas TC, Leede E, Riley CJ, Brown LH, Teixeira PG, Aydelotte JD, Coopwood TB, Trust MD, Ali S, Brown CVR.Large animal-related injuries (LARI) are relatively uncommon, but, nevertheless, a public hazard. The objective of this study was to better understand LARI injury patterns and outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the 2016 National Trauma Data Bank and used ICD-10 codes to identify patients injured by a large animal. The primary outcome was severe injury pattern, while secondary outcomes included mortality, hospital length of stay, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation usage. Results: There were 6,662 LARI included in our analysis. Most LARI (66%) occurred while riding ...
Masko M, Borowska M, Domino M, Jasinski T, Zdrojkowski L, Gajewski Z.The horses' backs are particularly exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence of e.g. the rider's body weight. The maximal load for a horse's back during riding has been suggested not to exceed 20% of the horses' body weight. The common prevalence of back problems in riding horses prompted the popularization of thermography of the thoracolumbar region. However, the analysis methods of thermographic images used so far do not distinguish loaded horses with body weight varying between 10 and 20%. Results: The superficial body temperature (SBT) of the ...
Droboniku MJ, Mychailyszyn MP.Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) has garnered public interest and has been implemented for youth with autism spectrum disorders-a practice supported by anecdotal evidence. While investigations of AAI for children with autism have been conducted, the extant literature is characterized by significant variability in methodology and practice. The present meta-analysis examines the aggregated effects of equine AAI on adaptive functioning among children with autism. Results indicated that interacting with an equine specifically during AAI produced small-to-medium effects (g = 0.40) on the adap...
Dick L, Yule M, Green J, Young J.Horse riding carries risk of injury which can result in fatality. The majority of published literature describes major trauma centre experience. We aimed to characterise injury patterns following equine trauma at a Scottish district general hospital. Methods: A retrospective review of admissions following equine trauma was undertaken from 2014 to 2019. Mechanism and nature of injuries were noted. Patient management and outcomes were recorded and analysed to determine correlation. Results: Of the 162 patients identified, 121 (74.7 per cent) were female. The commonest mechanism and injury sustai...
Norrud BC, Råheim M, Sudmann TT, Håkanson M.Equine Assisted Physiotherapy (EAPT) offers children with cerebral palsy (CP) opportunities for new movement experiences, and may influence movement qualities. Descriptions of how, and to what extent EAPT affects trunk control is missing. The aim of this study was to explore if, and how changes in trunk control and changes in other movement aspects were observable in children with CP during EAPT, and if potential changes in trunk control could be measured. Methods: A multiple case study with a mixed methods design was completed. Two children with CP, GMFCS grade 1, were observed using video du...
The Journal of traumaJanuary 1, 1989
Volume 29, Issue 1 25-30 doi: 10.1097/00005373-198901000-00005
Ingemarson H, Grevsten S, Thorén L.Riding accidents can be of a serious nature. Knowledge of risk factors is of essential value in the prevention of injuries. From the years 1969 through 1982 a series of 53 lethal riding injuries is analysed with reference to the rider, the horse, and the environment. Craniocerebral injuries dominate in this series, indicating the importance of adequately protecting helmets. Among the victims the female sex is dominating before the age of 25 and the males above this age. Older horses are less frequently involved in these accidents than younger ones. A long training period for riders under surve...
Pounder DJ.The fatalities associated with the riding and handling of horses in South Australia over the 11-year period 1973-1983 are reviewed. There were 18 deaths, including two sudden natural deaths in the saddle and one drowning. The 15 cases of horse-related trauma represent a death rate of approximately one per million population per annum. Thirteen of the deaths were the result of a head injury after a fall. Nine persons were not wearing protective headgear. The two principal groups at risk were male professional riders with a mean age of 32 years and female amateurs with a mean age of 19 years.
Symes D, Ellis R.Rider asymmetry is anecdotally associated with underperformance and injury. In this study, rider axial rotation (AR) and shoulder angle displacement (SAD) were measured using video analysis, and leg length inequality (LLI) was measured to assess any correlation between LLI, AR and SAD. Two video cameras, recording transverse and sagittal views, simultaneously filmed each of 17 female riders in walk, trot, and left and right canter. The rider's shoulder angles relative to the cranial caudal line were measured at each limb impact for a complete stride cycle. All riders exhibited left AR and a gr...
Harris A, Williams JM.This paper reports a case-control study of a horse riding intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A sample of 26 children, aged 6 to 9 years, were assigned to either the intervention ( = 12) or control group conditions ( = 14). Pre- and post-tests were carried out using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS2) and the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-Community Edition (ABC-C). An observational measure of compliance and behaviour during the horse riding sessions was completed for the intervention group. There was a significant reduction in the severity of ASD...
Whitlock MR, Whitlock J, Johnston B.A retrospective study of horse riding injuries in Berkshire was undertaken over a one year period from November 1983. The information was obtained from the Ambulance Service, the Jockey Club and the St. John Ambulance Brigade. There was a total of 103 injured persons with no deaths. Information from the Jockey Club was compared with the other two groups, the former sustaining more limb injuries and the latter more head injuries. A questionnaire was sent to all 42 ambulance patients. Thirty-eight had radiographs taken, 16 of which showed a fracture. Forty-one were wearing some form of hard hat,...
Ginés-Díaz A, Martínez-Romero MT, Cejudo A, Aparicio-Sarmiento A, Sainz de Baranda P.Previous research has analyzed how the sport influences sagittal spinal curvatures in young athletes and has found that spinal curves may be modified as a consequence of repeated movement patterns and postures of each discipline. Objective: To analyze sagittal spinal alignment by equestrian discipline and its relation to training load, and to describe "sagittal integrative morphotype" in young riders. Methods: Observational descriptive study. Methods: Training room. Methods: A total of 23 riders (aged 9-17 y)-13 dressage riders (3 males and 10 females) and 10 show jumping riders (5 males and ...
Heleski CR, McGreevy PD, Kaiser LJ, Lavagnino M, Tans E, Bello N, Clayton HM.Unsteady hand position can cause discomfort to the horse, potentially leading to conflict behaviours (CB) such as head tossing or tail lashing. Some instructors feel that martingales or elastic rein inserts can reduce discomfort caused by inexperienced and unsteady hands. Others consider these devices to be inappropriate 'crutches'. Four horses and nine riders were tested under three conditions in random order: plain reins, adjustable training martingales (TM), and elasticised rein inserts (RI). Rein-tension data (7s) and behavioural data (30s) were collected in each direction. Rein-tension da...
Condie C, Rivara FP, Bergman AB.Although the risk of serious head injury for horse riders is higher than for most other sports, few equestrians regularly wear protective headgear. This study indicates that riders are well informed about the need for helmets and that the main reason for nonuse is inadequate helmet design. In particular, riders perceive that existing helmets are uncomfortable, expensive, and inappropriate for some riding styles. Based on these findings, the authors developed strategies to increase usage and incorporated them into a successful program. These strategies included working with manufacturers to dev...
Kraft CN, Pennekamp PH, Becker U, Young M, Diedrich O, Lüring C, von Falkenhausen M.Most orthopaedic problems experienced by competitive horseback riders are related to pain in the lower back, hip joint, and hamstring muscles. Riders-especially, show jumpers-are frequently hampered in their performance because of lumbar pain. To date, there has been no research into lumbar disk degeneration in elite competitive riders. Objective: Competitive horseback riding accelerates lumbar disk degeneration. Methods: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Fifty-eight elite riders (18 men, 40 women; mean age, 32.4 years) and a control group of 30 nonriding volunteers (17 men...
Tell A, Egenvall A, Lundström T, Wattle O.Oral soft tissue ulcers are common disorders of horses, but it is unclear if their prevalence is increased by riding horses with a bit and bridle. Oral examinations were performed on 113 horses and ponies, all which had received routine dental floating, that were divided into four groups depending on when they had last been ridden with a bit and bridle. The subjects comprised: group 1, a randomly selected population of ridden horses; group 2, a group of horses examined after being rested at pasture for 5 weeks; group 3, the previous group following 7 weeks of riding with a bit and bridle, and ...
Havlik HS.Equestrian sports continue to grow in popularity in the Unites States and abroad, with an estimated 30 million people riding horses annually in the United States alone. Approximately one in five of these riders will suffer a serious injury during their riding career, requiring medical care and potentially hospitalization. Riding carries with it an implicit risk of injury associated with the unpredictability of the animals, the rider's head being positioned approximately 9 feet off the ground, and traveling unrestrained at speeds up to 40 mph. This article reviews common equestrian injuries, ep...
Hilliere C, Collado-Mateo D, Villafaina S, Duque-Fonseca P, Parraça JA.To provide an up-to-date research analysis on equine-assisted therapies and horse riding simulation exercise in older adults, and to suggest future directions in clinical practice and research. TYPE: Systematic review. A comprehensive search of studies was performed in 4 electronic databases (Cochrane, PubMed, PEDro, and Web of Science) regarding the effects of equine-assisted therapies and horse riding simulation exercise in older adults. Eight articles were selected, 5 of them focused on hippotherapy, 2 on horse riding simulation, and a single article that used the 2 types of therapy. PRISMA...
Fazio E, Medica P, Cravana C, Ferlazzo A.In order to determine whether therapeutic riding could result in higher levels of stress than recreational riding, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response was evaluated in six horses by monitoring circulating β-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol concentrations. Horses were already accustomed to be trained both for therapy and riding school activity since 2004. Intervention consisted of 60-minute therapeutic sessions, two times per week for 6weeks with different riders: disabled and recreational riders (session A and B respectively). The therapeutic riders' group (A) consisted of six chil...
Roepstorff L, Egenvall A, Rhodin M, Byström A, Johnston C, van Weeren PR, Weishaupt M.At rising trot the rider sits alternately down on one diagonal pair of limbs and rises up on the other. The possible effects on asymmetry of locomotion induced by rising trot have rarely been studied. Objective: To demonstrate whether, and if so to what extent, rising trot causes asymmetrical loading in the vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and/or asymmetrical effects on the locomotion pattern, comparing left and right side. Methods: Seven elite horses were ridden in left and right rising trot on a treadmill, while VGRF and kinematics were measured, with the horses' neck raised, the poll h...
Bixby-Hammett DM.Using data from four sources, horse-related injuries are summarized for persons younger than 25 years of age. Head injury caused 57% of deaths. The upper extremity was the most common area injured, with the next most frequent areas the lower extremity (National Park Service data) and the head (United States Pony Clubs [USPC] data). Injured females outnumbered injured males and had a greater percentage of participants injured (USPC data). Injuries occurred at home in 41% (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data). USPC figures suggest that greater knowledge may reduce the severity of...
Barrey E.Over the last 30 years, the increase in interest in horses for racing and riding activities has stimulated scientific research in equine locomotion. This paper presents a review of the measurement methods and their applications used to assess equine locomotion. After describing gaits and velocity-related changes in stride variables, the current applications of gait analysis are presented. The economic consequences of lameness justifies the great effort now being put into lameness quantification and prevention. To improve breeding and reduce the costs of training, early performance evaluation t...
Newton AM, Nielsen AM.The literature contains many studies on the types of injuries sustained in horseback riding incidents. Most advocate the use of equestrian helmets to prevent head trauma. However, information is limited on other specific prevention strategies. Methods: A 4-year, retrospective, and prospective review of medical records pertaining to horse-related injuries in a southwestern Colorado hospital yielded a sample of 85 patients who had been injured while riding or tending to horses. In addition to the record review, patients were interviewed during ED discharge, inpatient treatment, or in a follow-up...
Dyson S, Pollard D.A Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) comprising 24 behaviours has been developed to facilitate the identification of musculoskeletal pain. The aim was to further test the RHpE by its application to a convenience sample (n = 60) of sports horses and riding school horses in regular work and assumed by their owners to be working comfortably. All horses performed a purpose-designed dressage-type test of 8.5 min duration in walk, trot and canter, with their normal rider. The RHpE was applied retrospectively to video recordings acquired in a standardised fashion. Seventy-three percent of horses were ...
Hippotherapy (HT) is a rehabilitative tool inducing psychological and motor improvements using human-horse interaction. HT provides sensory stimulation to the rider through the rhythmic and repetitive movements of the horse, facilitating communication between patients and healthcare professionals, favoring the establishment of a therapeutic alliance. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effects of HT treatment on cognitive-behavioral processes in neurodevelopmental disorders. We screened studies published between 2002 and 2020 on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Sciences databases...
Soroko M, Zaborski D, Dudek K, Yarnell K, Górniak W, Vardasca R.The impact of a rider's and saddle's mass on saddle thermal pattern distribution was evaluated using infrared thermography (IRT). Eighteen racehorses were ridden by four riders with their own saddle. Images of the saddle panels were captured at each of six thermographic examinations. On each image, six regions of interest (ROIs) were marked on the saddle panels. The mean temperature for each ROI was extracted. To evaluate the influence of load on saddle fit, 4 indicators were used: ΔTmax (difference between the mean temperature of the warmest and coolest ROI); standard deviation of the mean t...
Schöllhorn WI, Peham C, Licka T, Scheidl M.Interactions of various systems were investigated in several studies of dynamic systems, but the interactions between horse and rider have not yet been documented. These interactions include the rider's ability to control the horse, adapt to the horse and maintain both participants' body position. An optimum interaction is also adapted to the individual nature of the horse. Objective: To identify rider-horse interactions by means of artificial neural nets analysing the time-continuous pattern. Methods: Fourteen horses were measured trotting on hand, and ridden at working trot with a profession...
McCrory P, Turner M.This chapter reviews the current evidence for the epidemiology of pediatric equestrian injuries. Methods: The relevant literature was searched through the use of MEDLINE (1966-2004) and SPORT DISCUS (1975-2004) searches, hand searches of journals and reference lists and discussions with experts and sporting organizations worldwide. Keywords and Mesh headings used in all searches included horse racing, children, pediatric injuries, sports injuries, equestrian injuries and sports trauma. Results: Limited data exist on the epidemiology of pediatric equestrian injuries. Most studies note the high ...
Hobbs GD, Yealy DM, Rivas J.A retrospective chart review was conducted to define the demographic and injury patterns of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). The setting is a rural/small urban tertiary care center with approximately 40,000 visits per year. All patients presenting to the ED from January 1986 through December 1990 with equestrian-related injuries were enrolled in the study. Measurements included age, sex, mechanism of injury, injury or injuries diagnosed, admission to the hospital, morbidity, and mortality. A total of 142 patients met the inclusion criteria. The majority of injuries occurre...
Greve L, Dyson S.Common causes of poor performance in horses include factors related to the horse, the rider and/or the saddle, and their interrelationships remain challenging to determine. Horse-related factors (such as thoracolumbar region pain and/or lameness), rider-related factors (such as crookedness, inability to ride in rhythm with the horse, inability to work the horse in a correct frame to improve core strength and muscular support of the thoracolumbar spine of the horse), and saddle-related factors (such as poor fit causing focal areas of increased pressure) may all contribute to poor performance to...
de Solis CN, Althaus F, Basieux N, Burger D.Sudden death affects the health of horses, the safety of riders and the public perception of animal welfare during equestrian events. Objective: To describe the signalment, clinical history, sudden death episode, rider injuries and causes of sudden death during exercise or closely thereafter in sport and pleasure riding horses. Methods: Retrospective case series based on an online questionnaire. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to the veterinary and equestrian community. Connections of animals reported in the press to have died suddenly were sent the survey. Responses were anal...
Heleski CR.What is a social license to operate (SLO)? Why would this concept matter for horse sport? In perhaps its simplest form, "social license to operate" is the public's perception of an industry or activity. It is a challenging concept to fully grasp because it does not arrive as a document given by a government agency. Yet it is every bit as important-perhaps more so. Does the industry in question operate with transparency? Does the public believe in the integrity of the stakeholders who are most likely to benefit from the activity? Do people believe there is legitimacy in the scrutinized industry...
Egenvall A, Roepstorff L, Eisersiö M, Rhodin M, van Weeren R.The use of tack (equipment such as saddles and reins) and especially of bits because of rein tension resulting in pressure in the mouth is questioned because of welfare concerns. We hypothesised that rein tension patterns in walk and trot reflect general gait kinematics, but are also determined by individual horse and rider effects. Six professional riders rode three familiar horses in walk and trot. Horses were equipped with rein tension meters logged by inertial measurement unit technique. Left and right rein tension data were synchronized with the gait. Results: Stride split data (0-100 %) ...
Lim J, Puttaswamy V, Gizzi M, Christie L, Croker W, Crowe P.Equestrian activities are associated with a high rate of injury. Attempts to reduce the incidence and severity of injury require accurate characterization of risk factors and pattern of injury. The present study was performed to analyse the injuries seen at an Australian centre where a large number of equestrian injuries present. Methods: Data were collected prospectively over a 3 year period on all equestrian injuries presenting to the Prince of Wales -Hospital complex. These data were compared against and combined with retrospectively collected data over the preceding 3 years at the same cen...
Zebisch A, May A, Reese S, Gehlen H.Different head-neck positions (HNPs) are used in equestrian sports and are regarded as desirable for training and competition by riders, judges and trainers. Even though some studies have been indicative of hyperflexion having negative effects on horses, this unnatural position is frequently used. In the present study, the influence of different HNPs on physical and psychological stress parameters in the ridden horse was investigated. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) and blood cortisol levels were measured in 18 horses. Low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) are power componen...
Cho SH.The present study aimed to identify the effects of horseback riding and mechanical horseback riding exercise on the relative α-power spectrum in the elderly. A total of 31 healthy elderly were randomly divided into horseback riding (n=15) and mechanical horseback riding exercise groups (n=16). The horseback riding exercise program was conducted for 25min twice a week for 12 weeks. Two-way repeated analysis of variance was used to identify the changes in measured variables before the exercise program, and after 6 and 12 weeks of the program. The horseback riding exercise group showed an increa...
