Measuring the Rider-Horse Dyad Across Olympic Equestrian Disciplines: A Scoping Review of Methodological Gaps and Priorities for Show Jumping.

Measuring coordination between riders and horses is crucial for equestrian performance, but current methods and definitions vary widely across Olympic disciplines. This review examines existing approaches, highlights gaps, and suggests priorities for improving measurement in show jumping.

Background and Objective

• Equestrian performance relies heavily on rider-horse coordination, known as the rider-horse dyad.
• Despite its importance, there is inconsistency in how coordination is defined, quantified, and measured across different Olympic disciplines, including dressage, show jumping, and eventing.
• The review aims to map current constructs (concepts), metrics (quantitative measures), and measurement methods used to study the rider-horse dyad, focusing especially on show jumping due to its unique demands and relevance.

Methods

• Systematic scoping review guided by PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews).
• Used a Population-Concept-Context framework to define eligible studies.
• Searched three major scientific databases: Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed.
• Included studies from database inception to 10 September 2026 (note: future date suggests error or projection in the text).
• Mapped evidence by several domains:
  • Discipline: dressage, show jumping, eventing, and transferable/general equestrian contexts.
  • Measurement domain: such as biomechanical, behavioural, physiological.
  • Measurement configuration: how rider and horse data are recorded/measured.
  • Synchronization status: whether rider and horse data are measured simultaneously in a coordinated time series or event-based manner.

Results

• A total of 121 relevant sources were included in the review.
• Among the 108 empirical or methodological studies, they were categorized by study type:
  • 47 kinematic/biomechanical studies, focusing on motion analysis and physical movement patterns.
  • 23 performance/statistical studies, using performance data and statistical methods.
  • 15 behavioural/welfare-related studies, examining horse/rider behavior or welfare outcomes.
  • 13 kinetic/pressure/interface studies, involving force or pressure measurements at the interface between horse and rider.
  • 10 neuromuscular/physiological studies, assessing muscular and physiological parameters.
• Notably, only 12 studies employed synchronized rider-horse measures using paired time-series data or event triggers, indicating precise temporal alignment of data streams.
• None of the show jumping studies achieved this strict synchronization criterion.
• Coordination was often assessed indirectly by:
  • Examining signals from only one partner (rider or horse) instead of both.
  • Using interface variables alone (like contact pressure) rather than synchronized dyadic data.
  • Using aggregate outcomes such as overall performance scores instead of detailed coordination metrics.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• The primary challenge in studying rider-horse coordination is not a lack of technological sensors or equipment to measure movement or physiological variables.
• The key limitation is the absence of validated methods that capture the dyad as a coordinated system, particularly methods that synchronize data streams from rider and horse.
• For show jumping, future research should incorporate:
  • Common time bases to ensure that data from rider and horse are precisely aligned temporally.
  • Predefined biomechanical events that can serve as reference points for synchronization (such as hoof strikes or jump takeoff).
  • Paired variables representing both rider and horse, to capture true interaction rather than single signals.
  • Prospective validation methods to confirm that measurements reliably reflect coordination.
  • Integration of behavioral and clinical evidence to interpret results, especially regarding welfare-related outcomes.
• Improving methodological rigor and standardization in rider-horse measurement will enhance understanding of coordination mechanisms and ultimately contribute to performance and welfare advancements in equestrian sports.