Status quo of the personality trait evaluation in horse breeding: Judges' assessment of the situation and strategies for improvement

Borstel, Uta König von; Pasing, Stephanie; Gauly, Matthias; Christmann, L.

doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2013.04.066

Cited by 9 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…[28]). Also, according to the guidelines [3] as well as a survey, rideability is considered by performance test judges to be partially determined by the intensity and consistency of the rein contact [4]. Thus the relationships between rein tension parameters detected in the present study were expected, and they indicate that performance test judges apparently indeed pay attention to signs indicative of the quality and intensity of rein tension.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

“…It is likely that, due to the rather subjective evaluation criteria [4] along with the large amount of individual factors that comprise the present, complex traits, each judge has her/his own aspects she or he focuses on during evaluation of personality traits as well as rideability. Combining the results from these different judges will thus lower the impact of relationships that exist within parameters evaluated by one judge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… [1] ). Rideability describes the degree of comfort a rider feels when riding a horse and the ease with which a horse can be ridden [2] – [4] . Although the level and quality of prior training can considerably influence rideability [4] , during performance tests judges aim at assessing the horses’ innate aptitude rather than the level of rideability achieved by training.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rideability describes the degree of comfort a rider feels when riding a horse and the ease with which a horse can be ridden [2] – [4] . Although the level and quality of prior training can considerably influence rideability [4] , during performance tests judges aim at assessing the horses’ innate aptitude rather than the level of rideability achieved by training. Besides the rider’s legs, seat and in some cases the voice, the reins are one of the main means of communication between rider and horse, and it is thus expected that the horse’s reaction to rider’s cues via these different channels largely determines its rideablity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, a rider’s “feeling” is by definition a subjective experience, making the evaluation of this trait subjective. Although traditionally considered to be a performance rather than a personality trait [3] , it is suggested that a horse’s rideability is also largely influenced by its sensitivity to the rider’s aids, its inclination to behave in certain ways and thus by its personality [4] . Learning ability, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Alternatives to Conventional Evaluation of Rideability in Horse Performance Tests: Suitability of Rein Tension and Behavioural Parameters

Borstel

Glißman

2014

PLoS ONE

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Rideability, i.e. the ease and comfort with which a horse can be ridden, is considered to be one of the most important traits in riding horses. However, at present rideability is evaluated rather subjectively in breeding horse performance tests. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role horse behaviour as well as degree and quality of rein tension might play in judges’ evaluation of horses’ rideability. Mares (n = 33) and stallions (n = 13) from two different mare- and one stallion-testing station were observed twice during their performance test dressage training. During these rides, rein tension was measured continuously, and frequency of behaviour patterns such as head-tossing, tail swishing, and snorting was recorded. Rein tension parameters showed reasonable repeatabilities within horse-rider pairs (e.g. mean rein tension: r2 = 0.61±0.11; variance of rein tension: r2 = 0.52±0.14). Regression analysis revealed that a larger proportion of variance in rideability scores could be explained by maximum (17%), mean (16%) and variance (15%) of rein tension compared to horses’ or riders’ behavioural parameters (tail-swishing: 5% and rider’s use of hands: 5%, respectively). According to mixed model analysis, rideability scores dropped (all P<0.05) with increasing mean, maximum and variability in rein tension (e.g. −0.37±0.14 scores per additional 10 Newton in mean tension). However, mean rein tension differed between testing stations (P<0.0001) ranging between 9.1±1.6 N in one station and 21.7±1.3 N in another station. These results indicate that quantity and consistency of rein tension is either directly or indirectly an important factor for judges to derive rideability scores. Given the importance of rein tension parameters to both rider comfort and horse welfare, potentially, measurements of rein tension along with behaviour observations assessing the quality of rein contact (e.g. distinguishing a light contact from attempts to evade contact) might be used to make the assessment of rideability more impartial.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%