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Journal of the Royal Society, Interface2024; 21(215); 20230644; doi: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0644

Shape change in the saddle region of the equine back during trot and walk.

Abstract: Equine back pain is prevalent among ridden horses and is often attributed to poor saddle fit. An alternative explanation is that saddle fits are technically good but fit to the wrong configuration. Saddles are fit for the standing horse, but much of the time ridden is instead spent locomoting when the back experiences the greatest peak forces. We used an array of cameras to reconstruct the surface of the back and its movement during trot, walk and standing for five horses. We verified the setup's accuracy by reconstructing a laser-scanned life-sized model horse. Our reconstructions demonstrate that saddles sit within a large, relatively low-mobile region of the back. However, saddles do sit adjacent to the highly mobile withers, which demands care in positioning and design around this important region. Critically, we identified that saddle curvature between standing and moving horses is substantially different, where trotting and walking horses have flatter backs than their standing configurations. Saddles designed around the locomoting configuration of horses may improve horse welfare by being better fit and decreasing the focal pressures applied by saddles.
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Publication Date: 2024-06-19 PubMed ID: 38916112PubMed Central: PMC11286149DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0644Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research discusses how horseback riding saddles, typically designed for horses when they’re standing, may not fit as well when the horse is in motion. The study investigates and compares the curvature of horses’ backs while standing, walking, and trotting, and offers insights into better saddle design to improve the well-being of horses.

Background

  • The problem of back pain in ridden horses is often attributed to poorly fitted saddles.
  • However, the researchers propose an alternative explanation – that the saddles are fitted well but designed for the wrong configuration.
  • Saddles are mainly designed for horses in a standing position but a large portion of the horse’s time is spent in locomotion, either trotting or walking.

Methodology

  • The researchers used a camera setup to track and study the dynamic movement and surface changes on horseback during different movements – standing, trotting, and walking.
  • The accuracy of this setup was verified using a life-sized model of a horse that was scanned with lasers.

Findings

  • The study found that the saddles typically sit on a less mobile region of the horse’s back.
  • However, the saddles are also situated adjacent to the horse’s withers, a highly mobile area that requires careful design consideration and saddle positioning.
  • Most importantly, the curvature of horses’ backs was found to be substantially different between the standing and trot/walk states, with the moving horses having a flatter back than when they’re standing.

Implications

  • These insights can be leveraged to design saddles that are better suited to the locomotive state of horses, which may lead to better welfare of the horses by providing a better fit and reducing the pressure points.

Cite This Article

APA
Smirnova KP, Frill MA, Warner SE, Cheney JA. (2024). Shape change in the saddle region of the equine back during trot and walk. J R Soc Interface, 21(215), 20230644. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2023.0644

Publication

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
ISSN: 1742-5662
NlmUniqueID: 101217269
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 215
Pages: 20230644

Researcher Affiliations

Smirnova, Kristina P
  • Royal Veterinary College , Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Frill, Michael A
  • Royal Veterinary College , Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Warner, Sharon E
  • Royal Veterinary College , Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Cheney, Jorn A
  • Royal Veterinary College , Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
  • School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton , Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses / physiology
  • Walking / physiology
  • Back / physiology
  • Biomechanical Phenomena

Grant Funding

  • University of Southampton
  • Worshipful Company of Saddlers

Conflict of Interest Statement

We declare we have no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Jastrzębska E, Dobbek D, Pawłowska A. The Effect of Magnetotherapy on Back Pain Sensitivity and Muscle Tension in Recreational Horses-A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2025 Dec 26;16(1).
    doi: 10.3390/ani16010077pubmed: 41514765google scholar: lookup
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