Influence of velocity on horse and rider movement and resulting saddle forces at walk and trot

Bogisch, Sandra; Peinen, Katja Geser-von; Wiestner, Thomas; Roepstorff, L.; Weishaupt, Michael A

doi:10.3920/cep13025

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The position of a rider is affected by many factors, including the saddle seat length, the position of the stirrup bars, the size and shape of the saddle flaps and the position and size of knee rolls and thigh blocks (Harman 2005;Schleese 2014). Rider position and thus force distribution will also be influenced by the rider's core strength, limb muscle strength and coordination and balance (Peham et al 2001(Peham et al , 2004Lagarde et al 2005;Bogisch et al 2014), features that were not assessed in the current study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The influence of rider:horse bodyweight ratio and rider‐horse‐saddle fit on equine gait and behaviour: A pilot study

Dyson

Ellis²,

MacKechnie-Guire³

et al. 2019

Equine Veterinary Education

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Summary The effect of rider weight on equine welfare and performance requires further investigation. The objective of this prospective, cross‐over, randomised trial was to assess gait and behavioural responses of horses to riders of similar ability, but different bodyweights. Six nonlame horses in regular work were ridden by each of four riders: Light (L), Moderate (M), Heavy (H) and Very Heavy (VH). Saddle fit was assessed subjectively throughout the study. Each horse was ridden twice by riders L and M, and once by rider H. Rider VH rode five horses once and one twice. Each horse‐rider combination undertook a standardised, 30‐min ‘dressage‐test' which was abandoned if we observed lameness grade ≥ 3/8 in one limb, grade ≥ 2/8 in ≥ 2 limbs, or ≥ 10/24 behavioural markers of pain. Horses were reassessed in hand 45–60 min after any abandonment. Mean rider bodyweights, body mass index (BMI) values and rider:horse bodyweight percentages for the L, M, H and VH riders were respectively: 60.8, 77.8, 91.0, 142.1 kg; 23.2, 28.0, 26.3, 46.9 kg/m2; 10.0–11.7%, 12.8–15.0%, 15.3–17.9%, 23.6–27.5%. All 13 H and VH rider tests (lameness, n = 12; behaviour, n = 1) and one of 12 M rider tests (lameness) were abandoned. Lameness was confirmed using inertial measurement unit data. All horses trotted sound after test abandonment and completed the study moving well when ridden. Limitations of the study were saddle fit was not ideal in all horse‐rider combinations and abandonment criteria were subjective. The conclusions and clinical relevance of the study were that large riders can induce temporary lameness and behaviours consistent with musculoskeletal pain. This may relate to rider bodyweight and/or weight distribution. Riders M and H had similar BMI but markedly different test abandonment rates, therefore bodyweight is likely to be more relevant than BMI. Further work is required to determine if horse fitness, adaptation to heavier weights and better saddle fit for heavier/taller riders will increase horses' weight‐carrying capacity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The influence of rider:horse bodyweight ratio and rider‐horse‐saddle fit on equine gait and behaviour: A pilot study

Dyson

Ellis²,

MacKechnie-Guire³

et al. 2019

Equine Veterinary Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…5(c) and 5(d)). This may be caused by the comparatively larger range of the limb angle in Icelandic horses compared to Warmblood horses; especially while t€ olting [25,26].…”

Section: Model Limitations and Comparison To Biologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive Dynamics Explain Quadrupedal Walking, Trotting, and Tölting

Gan

Wiestner

Weishaupt

et al. 2015

Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics

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This paper presents a simplistic passive dynamic model that is able to create realistic quadrupedal walking, tölting, and trotting motions. The model is inspired by the bipedal spring loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model and consists of a distributed mass on four massless legs. Each of the legs is either in ground contact, retracted for swing, or is ready for touch down with a predefined angle of attack. Different gaits, that is, periodic motions differing in interlimb coordination patterns, are generated by choosing different initial model states. Contact patterns and ground reaction forces (GRFs) evolve solely from these initial conditions. By identifying appropriate system parameters in an optimization framework, the model is able to closely match experimentally recorded vertical GRFs of walking and trotting of Warmblood horses, and of tölting of Icelandic horses. In a detailed study, we investigated the sensitivity of the obtained solutions with respect to all states and parameters and quantified the improvement in fitting GRF by including an additional head and neck segment. Our work suggests that quadrupedal gaits are merely different dynamic modes of the same structural system and that we can interpret different gaits as different nonlinear elastic oscillations that propel an animal forward.

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“…Differences in speed within a gait can alter peak forces; a 10% increase within a specified speed range resulted in + 5% (walk) and + 14% (trot) higher total saddle force peaks (Bogisch et al . ). The current technology only measures forces perpendicular to sensors (Jeffcott et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…; Bogisch et al . ), rider position (De Cocq et al . ) and rising versus sitting trot on pressure magnitude and distribution (De Cocq et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of rider size and saddle fit for horse and rider on forces and pressure distribution under saddles: A pilot study

Roost¹,

Ellis²,

Morris³

et al. 2019

Equine Veterinary Education

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There is limited scientific evidence concerning the effect of rider weight on pressures under the saddle and equine performance. The objective of this prospective, crossover, randomised trial was to assess pressure distribution and magnitude in horses ridden by four riders of similar ability but differing in bodyweight and height. Six horses in regular work were ridden by four riders (rider bodyweight: horse body weight percentage > 10 ≤ 12and > 20 [VH = Very Heavy]), performing a purpose-designed dressage test (30 min). The test was abandoned for ≥ grade 3/8 lameness or ≥ 10 behavioural markers (assessed in real-time). A calibrated force mat (Pliance) was used to record pressures under the saddle in walk, trot and canter on left and right reins. Rider position was assessed. All 13 H and VH tests and one of 12 M rider tests were abandoned (lameness, n = 12; behaviour, n = 1). At walk, the seat of rider VH extended beyond the cantle of the saddle; rider H sat on the cantle of the saddle. At trot and canter the heels of rider VH were consistently cranial to the tubera coxae and shoulders. Pressures were significantly higher under the caudal aspect of the saddle compared with cranially for rider VH in walk (P<0.05, ANOVA, Bonferroni). At rising trot pressures were higher cranially for riders L, M and H (P<0.05, ANOVA, Bonferroni), but were similar cranially and caudally for rider VH. The highest maximum peak pressure was recorded for rider VH in canter. A limitation was that speed can alter pressure measurements, but was not controlled or recorded. We concluded that there were differences in magnitude and distribution of pressures among the four riders according to their size, which may have contributed to the development of musculoskeletal pain. This may also have been influenced by saddle fit for riders and their positions.

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Influence of velocity on horse and rider movement and resulting saddle forces at walk and trot

Cited by 14 publications

References 24 publications

The influence of rider:horse bodyweight ratio and rider‐horse‐saddle fit on equine gait and behaviour: A pilot study

The influence of rider:horse bodyweight ratio and rider‐horse‐saddle fit on equine gait and behaviour: A pilot study

Passive Dynamics Explain Quadrupedal Walking, Trotting, and Tölting

The effects of rider size and saddle fit for horse and rider on forces and pressure distribution under saddles: A pilot study

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