The science of horse training: implications for rider safety and animal welfare

Abstract

Despite enormous investment in equine related equipment, nutrition and health, the actual communication process between domesticated horses interacting with humans every day remains poorly defined. Recently the advent of equitation science has encouraged the application of learning theory to the longstanding and important relationship between human and horse. Equitation science is an emerging discipline that combines learning theory, physics and ethology to examine the salience and efficacy of horse-training techniques. This thesis describes investigations into many areas of horse training in Australia from the safety of riders and welfare of elite dressage horses to the marketing of ponies and the physical characteristics of the communications cues provided by riders to their mounts. Given the broad nature of this project, a wide variety of investigative and experimental techniques were used to achieve the project objectives. A review of published material lead to recommendations for methodological standards and future research directions in rein tension research. The Signal Scribe™ rein tension meter (Crafted Technologies) was used to measure the tension created in the reins by 12 riders applying a deceleration cue. These measurements were carried out on an artificial horse torso. A system for detecting a rider’s lower-leg pressure on the lateral torso was also created using piezoresistive technology developed for measurement of seat pressure in wheelchairs. The system was used to measure the lower-leg pressure of 12 riders applying an acceleration cue on an artificial horse torso. This same equipment was modified to measure the force of whip strike impacts. In the small sample (n = 6) the back hand strikes with the preferred hand were more forceful than forehand strikes. This preliminary research demonstrated that fundamental communication processes between horse and rider is poorly defined and research and benchmarking of best practice is required. In view of the reported problems with equine back pain, an on-line survey of current use of layers between the saddle and the horse’s back was conducted. There were 1011 respondents representing a wide range of equestrian activities. Use of layer(s) between saddles and horses’ backs was ubiquitous in this sample. More research on this equipment is warranted as layer(s) can sabotage good saddle design and compromise equine welfare. Laboratories investigating saddlery and equestrian techniques should incorporate a layer between the saddles and the horses’ backs. Horse-related injuries to riders, handlers and veterinarians can be both serious and long-term in their effects on the victim. Recent technological advances in protective equipment may have mitigated the severity of some injuries, but overall, the incident frequency of horse-related injuries has not changed. Centuries of horse management, training and education to date appear to have done little to reduce the incidence rate of injuries to humans in their interactions with equids. Poor stimulus control of the horse by the rider and activation of the flight response are two aspects of horse/rider interactions that warrant further investigation as a means of preventing or mitigating horse-related accidents. Very little information on the role of the horse is available in incidents recorded, despite repeated acknowledgement that this can be an important factor in many of the incidents. Equitation Science can contribute to reducing horse-related injuries by reducing the “unpredictability” aspect of horse–human interactions. A novel methodology was developed to assess the value placed on safe horse behaviour in the Australian pony market. In doing so a hedonistic pricing model for this market was created. Horse riding is a particularly dangerous activity for children, especially until they have accrued significant riding experience. It is reasonable to suppose that this relatively naïve group would be riding ponies. Descriptors associated with safe behaviour in advertisements in Horse Deals did not contribute to increases in the asking price of ponies and pony club mounts. This suggests that vendors struggle to sell this attribute. That said, descriptors associated with warnings of dangerous behaviour contributed to decreases in the asking price of ponies and pony club mounts. Vendors in the pony and pony club markets appear to value different characteristics to those valued by buyers. Published dressage scores were used to appraise the welfare of elite dressage horses during Olympic competition. Judges at high-level dressage competitions can show considerable variability in the scoring of tests. Despite the relevance of the submission collective mark to horse welfare, judges appear to have considerable difficulty scoring in this domain and aligning their scores with overall performance. Using horses in human competition demands that both the physical and psychological health of the competition horse be monitored. This study has shown that it is not possible to identify and reliably quantify a measure of horse welfare in Olympic dressage competition. This thesis demonstrates that equitation science provides a lens through which the full diversity of horse-human interaction can be examined, evaluated and improved.