Influence of girth strap placement and panel flocking material on the saddle pressure pattern during riding of horses.
Abstract: Saddle fit is well recognised as an important factor for the health and performance of riding horses. However, only few studies have addressed general effects of different saddle construction details within a group of horses. Objective: To assess the influence of girth strap placement, traditional vs. v-system, and panel flocking material, wool vs. synthetic foam, on the saddle pressure pattern during riding. Methods: Six horses were ridden by 3 riders in sitting and rising trot and sitting canter. Saddle pressure was measured with 3 different saddle variants: 1) wool flocked panels and traditional girthing (baseline); 2) wool flocked panels and v-system girthing; and 3) foam filled panels and traditional girthing. From the pressure data, a number of descriptive variables were extracted. These were analysed using ANCOVA models with horse, rider, saddle, seat (sitting/rising, trot only) and speed as independent variables. Results: With foam filled panels stride maximum pressures under the hind part of the saddle increased by 7-12% and the area under the saddle with a stride mean pressure >11 kPa increased by 114 cm(2) in trot and 127 cm(2) in canter. With v-system girthing, the latter variable also increased, but only by 53 and 38 cm(2) in trot and canter, respectively. In addition, stride maximum pressures under the front part of the saddle tended to increase (≤ 9%). Conclusions: Both flocking material and girthing have a significant influence on the saddle pressure and should thus be considered in saddle fitting. Wool seems a better flocking material than foam of the type used in the current study. For girthing, traditional placement seems equally good if not better than the v-system. However, further studies are needed to show if these results are valid for a larger population of riding horses.
© 2010 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2011-05-27 PubMed ID: 21059052DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00173.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research aimed to determine how the placement of girth straps and the choice of panel flocking material in saddles influences the pattern of pressure exerted on a horse when ridden. The investigators found that the choice between wool and synthetic foam flocking material, as well as the choice of girthing (traditional or v-system), significantly impacted the saddle pressure and should be considered during saddle fitting.
Research Methodology
- The experiment was conducted using six horses being ridden by three different riders.
- They used three saddle variations: one with wool-flocked panels and traditional girthing, the second with wool-flocked panels and v-system girthing, and the third with foam-filled panels and traditional girthing.
- The horses were ridden in sitting and rising trot and sitting canter, and the saddle pressure was recorded.
- From this data, they calculated descriptive variables which were then analyzed using ANCOVA models, taking into account the horse, rider, saddle, seat posture, and speed.
Research Findings
- The results revealed that saddles with foam-filled panels increased the stride maximum pressures under the rear part of the saddle by 7-12%. The area under the saddle with a stride mean pressure greater than 11 kPa also increased significantly in both trot and canter with foam-filled panels.
- When the v-system girthing was used, there was also an increase in the area under the saddle with a stride mean pressure above 11 kPa, but it was not as significant as the increase noted with foam-filled panels.
- Stride maximum pressures under the front part of the saddle also showed possible increase (up to 9%) with v-system girthing.
Implications and Conclusions
- The findings suggest that both the flocking material and the girthing strategy used on saddles have a notable influence on the pressure applied to a horse during riding, and should be taken into consideration when fitting a saddle.
- Based on the specific materials tested in this study, wool appears to be a superior flocking material compared to foam. When considering girthing strategies, traditional placement seemed to outperform the v-system in terms of reducing pressure during riding.
- However, the researchers emphasized that their results might not be directly applicable to a larger population of horses. They call for more comprehensive studies to validate their conclusions.
Cite This Article
APA
Byström A, Stalfelt A, Egenvall A, Von Peinen K, Morgan K, Roepstorff L.
(2011).
Influence of girth strap placement and panel flocking material on the saddle pressure pattern during riding of horses.
Equine Vet J Suppl(38), 502-509.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00173.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Anatomy, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden. anna.bystrom@hipp.slu.se
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Back / physiology
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Horses / physiology
- Locomotion
- Movement
- Pressure
- Weight-Bearing
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Ničová K, Bartošová J. Still beyond a chance: Distribution of faults in elite show-jumping horses.. PLoS One 2022;17(3):e0264615.
- MacKechnie-Guire R, Fisher M, Mathie H, Kuczynska K, Fairfax V, Fisher D, Pfau T. A Systematic Approach to Comparing Thermal Activity of the Thoracic Region and Saddle Pressure Distribution beneath the Saddle in a Group of Non-Lame Sports Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 13;11(4).
- Shih HY, Georgiou F, Curtis RA, Paterson MBA, Phillips CJC. Behavioural Evaluation of a Leash Tension Meter Which Measures Pull Direction and Force during Human-Dog on-Leash Walks.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Aug 10;10(8).
- MacKechnie-Guire R, MacKechnie-Guire E, Fairfax V, Fisher D, Fisher M, Pfau T. The Effect of Tree Width on Thoracolumbar and Limb Kinematics, Saddle Pressure Distribution, and Thoracolumbar Dimensions in Sports Horses in Trot and Canter.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Oct 21;9(10).
- Byström A, Roepstorff L, Rhodin M, Serra Bragança F, Engell MT, Hernlund E, Persson-Sjödin E, van Weeren R, Weishaupt MA, Egenvall A. Lateral movement of the saddle relative to the equine spine in rising and sitting trot on a treadmill.. PLoS One 2018;13(7):e0200534.
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