A horse that appears angry or unhappy in his stall may be trying to share that he's not really ready to be ridden. Horses in these moods often have choppier gaits and a negative attitude when working under saddle.
A study produced by scientists at the Universite de Tours in Nouzilly in France used 43 lesson horses to prove that improving a horse's overall welfare can improve his performance under saddle. The horses were used for advanced riding lessons in dressage, jumping, and eventing. They were ridden about six hours a week and turned out for only one hour each week in individual sand paddocks, reports EQUUS magazine.
The horses were observed in their stalls multiple times a day for six weeks and their behaviors were documented. The scientists were specifically looking for indicators that the horses were unhappy at being kept in a stall: aggression toward people, hypervigilance, stereotypic behaviors like cribbing or a depressive stance. The average number of observations for each horse was 90.8 over the six weeks.
The head riding instructor was then asked three questions about each horse, with which she was familiar. The questions focused on how each horse went under saddle: if it was fearful, anxious, uncomfortable, or reluctant to go forward.
The final phase of the study involved an expert rider working each horse in the same tack. The rider wore inertial sensors on her chest and lower back; the horse wore a sensor on the underside of his girth to measure torso movements.
The rider did not know the horses or the behaviors they had exhibited. The ride was filmed and an independent assessor noted the behaviors that might indicate a negative attitude: head shaking, tail swishing and bolting. They also noted each horse's overall demeanor.
The researchers analyzed the data and found correlations between behaviors that indicated negative emotions in the stall and under-saddle performance. More-aggressive horses had choppier gaits that also made the rider move more. Horses that were more withdrawn were more reluctant to move forward while being ridden.
The scientists concluded that the horse's welfare, and emotions, are reflected in their way of going. Effort to improve a horse's welfare may reduce a horse's negativity and result in better under-saddle performances.
The team suggests that welfare changes may include more turnout and interaction with other horses.
Read more at EQUUS magazine.
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