Effects on behaviour and rein tension on horses ridden with or without martingales and rein inserts.

The study investigates the influence of riding gear, specifically martingales and rein inserts, on horses’ behaviour and rein tension. The experiment, involving four horses and nine riders, didn’t find significant differences in horses’ conflict behaviours but observed a notable variation in rein tension.

Study Methodology

• The research involved four horses and nine riders, used to test the effects of three different riding conditions. The conditions were, namely, plain reins (without any additional gadget), adjustable training martingales (TM), and elasticized rein inserts (RI).
• The order of the conditions was random to avoid any bias or predictability issues.
• Data related to rein-tension and horses’ behaviour were collected in all these conditions.

Data Collection

• The rein-tension data were collected for seven seconds in each riding condition using strain-gauge transducers, a type of device that measures force or pressure.
• The experiment collected behavioural data for 30 seconds across each condition.
• The behavioural data were compiled using an ‘ethogram’, a catalogue of all possible behaviours of a species in a particular study.

Results and Observations

• No significant difference was observed in the number of conflict behaviours (CB) of horses under the three conditions.
• An important observation was that the mean rein tension was higher when the horses were ridden with training martingales. On the other hand, the tension was lower in cases of reins with elasticised inserts or plain reins.
• It was also noted that relative to the withers (the highest part of the horse’s back), the head was positioned lower when horses were ridden with martingales.

Implications and Suggestions

• The findings suggest that although the martingales and rein inserts don’t significantly alter the conflict behaviour in horses, they influence the rein tension and the position of the horse’s head.
• Given that mean rein tension was observed to be higher with training martingales, their use may cause more discomfort to horses. However, the horse’s head was lower when ridden with martingales, which might suggest a more relaxed state.
• Therefore, a carefully fitted martingale could be beneficial, especially in riding schools dealing with novice riders. However, more studies are needed to further substantiate this observation.