Days-lost to training and competition in relation to workload in 263 elite show-jumping horses in four European countries.

This research investigates how various aspects such as training regimen, surfaces used, and the horse’s characteristics can impact the rate of injuries in elite show-jumping horses. This is measured through the concept of ‘days-lost to training’. The data collected shows a notable correlation between these factors and the incidence of injuries, leading to lost training days.

Research Methodology

• A longitudinal study was conducted involving professional riders from four European countries.
• Data was recorded using training diaries to track how different factors correlated with ‘days-lost’.
• Injury reasons were categorized into non-acute and acute orthopaedic, medical, hoof-related, and undefined.
• Descriptive statistics were produced for training durations, types of training, surfaces used, and the number of days-lost.
• A zero-inflated negative-binomial random-effects model was used with the overall days-lost as the outcome.
• Data from Sweden only was used to test if duration variables were related to competition surfaces as a separate subset analysis.

Key Findings

• A total of 31 riders with 263 horses provided data on 39,028 days at risk. 2357 (6.0%) were days-lost due to injuries in 126 horses.
• There was a notable variation in the incidence rate (IR) of injuries between countries. Switzerland and the UK had significantly lower IRs compared to Sweden.
• Horses with prior orthopaedic problems had almost double the IR of days-lost due to orthopaedic injury.
• The incidence rate increased when horses had jumping training more than 1 minute per day, but this could be due to a smaller baseline.
• Variation in training appeared to be a protective factor, with a dosage-response relationship noted. The category with highest variation had an IR of 0.1.
• In the Swedish model, distinct parameters such as the year, the horse’s age, rest periods, and use of sand surface in training were notable factors.
• Resting more than 17-25% of the days at risk, or more than 33% of DAR2, was associated with higher IRs, implying a greater risk of injury.
• Training or competing on sand-wood was associated with lower IRs, suggesting this surface might be safer.

Implications

• The findings highlight the importance of various factors, including surface type, training regimen, and horse characteristics in considering the health and injury risk of elite show-jumping horses.
• The research could help inform decisions on training methods, usage of surfaces and management strategies to minimize the injury risk and subsequently the ‘days-lost’ to training.