Vertical forces on the horse’s back in sitting and rising trot.

This research looked at the vertical forces exerted on a horse’s back during riding, comparing the impact of sitting and rising trot styles. The researchers found that the force exerted at the two peak points during a trot was lower when riders used the rising trot technique, indicating the rising trot may be less demanding for the horse.

Objective and Methodology

• The main purpose of the study was to measure and compare the load exerted on a horse’s back during rising and sitting trot techniques. This can be instrumental in understanding how different riding techniques affect the horse’s well-being.
• To gather the required data, 13 riders were involved in the study where their movements were recorded while performing both the riding techniques.
• The researchers analysed the motion of the rider’s centre of mass (CoM) over time and this data was differentiated twice to get acceleration information.
• The reaction force exerted on the horse’s back by the rider was calculated using the acceleration data.
• To eliminate the effect of different body weights of the riders, the calculated forces were normalized by the rider’s body weight resulting in dimensionless forces.

Findings

• The researchers found that the computed average vertical force (across all points in the stride and not specific to the force peaks) was similar for both riding techniques and was close to the rider’s body weight, indicating that the riding technique does not significantly influence this overall measure of load on the horse’s back.
• The study identified two peaks of force during one stride cycle while trotting.
• More specifically, both force peaks during the rising trot were significantly lower than those during the sitting trot (peak 1: 2.54+/-0.30 versus 2.92+/-0.29; peak 2: 1.95+/-0.34 versus 3.03+/-0.32).
• This significant difference in peak forces between the two riding styles supports the widely held belief that the rising trot technique places less demand on the horse in comparison to the sitting trot.

Significance

• The findings of this research could have implications for training and riding practices in equestrian sports. If the aim is to reduce exertion on the horse’s back, riders might prefer to use the rising trot technique more often.
• This research also adds to the scientific understanding of how riding techniques impact the physical strain on horses. This can inform decisions on equestrian policies and regulations for the welfare of the animals.