Footedness and Postural Asymmetry in Amateur Dressage Riders, Riding in Medium Trot on a Dressage Simulator.

The research article investigates the influence of footedness on postural asymmetry in equestrian riders. It concludes that footedness has little impact on postural symmetries in riders.

Research Methodology

• The study involved 28 female equestrian riders who were made to complete the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire- Revised (WFQ-R) to determine their degree of footedness.
• The footprint score derived from the WFQ-R test gave a measure of the rider’s footedness.
• The participants were then tested on a dressage simulator. The simulation test involved a session of medium trotting spanning over 20-seconds duration.
• As the riders trotted on the simulator, the study collected data on the force exerted on the saddle and stirrups and the degree of lateral tilt of the pelvic, trunk, and shoulder segments.
• Symmetry indices were calculated for saddle and stirrup forces.

Key Findings

• The study found no significant correlation between the WFQ-R footedness scores of the participants and any of the measured parameters of postural symmetry.
• Only a small fraction of participants (n=3) exhibited distinct footedness, with most being classified as ‘mixed footed’ based on their WFQ-R scores. This, combined with partial data loss for some parameters and subjects, made it difficult to compare directly between different footedness groups.
• The study observed variation in asymmetry among the mixed-footed group which suggested that footedness does not significantly impact rider’s posture.
• The research identified a correlation between trunk lean and stirrup force symmetry index, indicating that the rider’s trunk leaned towards the side which exerted more force on the stirrup.
• The study found a negative correlation between pelvic obliquity and shoulder tilt. This implies that the majority of the participants exhibited pelvic obliquity and shoulder tilt in opposite directions.
• Ultimately, the research concludes that footedness has negligible impact on postural asymmetries among riders.

Recommendations for Future Research

• The report suggests future research endeavors to understand other causal factors that could help riders to attain better postural symmetry.