Horses, saddles and riders: Applying the science

Abstract

An enthusiastic crowd of 400 people gathered at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK on 29 November 2014 for the second International Saddle Research Trust Conference on the theme of Horses, Saddles and Riders: Applying the Science. The conference was organised under the auspices of the Saddle Research Trust (SRT) which is a charitable organisation based in the UK established with the intention of stimulating and supporting research into the influence of saddles on the welfare, performance and safety of horses and riders using objective scientific methods. The SRT aims to provide a coordinated, focused approach to research in these areas, to facilitate publication of the findings in scientific journals and dissemination of the results to the equestrian world. This approach allows the SRT to act as a link between research, education and the industry. The trust supports research into all aspects of the interaction between the horse, saddle and rider. Areas of specific recent interest include studying welfare, performance and safety issues related to the use of a saddle, the role of the saddle in equine and human back problems, characterising behavioural issues of horses associated with saddle‐related discomfort, assessing the effects of saddle design on rider performance and health and designing saddles for disabled riders. Further information about the SRT is available on the website http://www.saddleresearchtrust.com. Sponsors of the conference were World Horse Welfare, a practical and forward‐thinking charity that believes in using scientific evidence to help guide its work, Amerigo saddlers, a company that advocates research as a basis for improving product design, the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and Horse and Hound.

Saddle fitting, recognising an ill‐fitting saddle and the consequences of an ill‐fitting saddle to horse and rider

“…Rider body size relative to the horse is a potential issue, but is dependent on many factors including the type, speed and duration of work and rider skill and balance (Clayton et al 2015). The veterinary profession is in a position to provide advice concerning rider size and bodyweight relative to horse size and type.…”

Investigation into Whether Proximal Suspensory Desmitis of the Hindlimb Could Predispose Horses to Sacroiliac Disease

“…In order to understand the process of veterinary examination and its resultant observations; it is imperative to fully understand the kinematics and kinetics of the locomotion of the horse. The structure and function of the cursorial musculoskeletal systems have evolved to provide structures and patterns of movement that favour acceleration, manoeuvrability speed and endurance [30,37,38] which has been harnessed over centuries for various disciplines such as racing and dressage.…”

“…Therefore, it is worth considering the kinematic pattern of hoof placement, to determine how the pathology of SID and hindlimb PSD may occur. The structure and function of the cursorial musculoskeletal systems have evolved to provide structures and patterns of movement that favour acceleration, manoeuvrability speed and endurance [30,37].…”

“…racing plate or hunter with or without grips or studs. These all influence the vertical and horizontal hoof velocity, and degree of slip [37,38,49]. The degree of lameness also has a large influence on interplay between hoof and ground reaction force [14].…”

Naturalness and the Legitimacy of Thoroughbred Racing: A Photo-Elicitation Study with Industry and Animal Advocacy Informants

“…Animal advocacy informants in the same study additionally identified routine training and husbandry practices, human-horse interactions and the “everyday life of horses” as “where the real welfare issues are” in thoroughbred racing [ 3 ]. These are issues discussed in the general equine welfare literature and include topics such as housing [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], feeding [ 8 , 9 ], equine behaviour [ 10 ], equine emotions [ 11 ], equine welfare assessment [ 12 , 13 ], the application of equipment [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ], equine learning and training [ 22 , 23 ], the impact of equine activities on the horse [ 24 ], human handling during various forms of human-horse interactions [ 25 , 26 ], impacts of riding on behaviour and welfare [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], horse-human relationships [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ] and people’s ability and inability to recognise behavioural signs of equine distress and pain [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. A theme that unites these issues and that allows one to make assessments as to the welfare impact is naturalness, i.e., what is natural for the horse and what is in the horse’s nature in relation to their species-specific, as well as individual, physiological; emotional; cognitive; social and behavioural characteristics, abilities and boundaries.…”