pelvis | Horse Racing Free Tips

Roll On: Balance Not Only Predictor Of Success For Horseback Riding

Though it might seem that good balance would be the only predictor of the ability to ride horses well, new research has shown that the ability to roll the pelvis is a better indicator of riding ability, reports The Horse.

Riders who can roll their pelvis from side to side without moving their body or legs are more likely to have horses that are happy and perform well. Riders can test this unmounted, by sitting on an exercise ball and rolling their hips toward their ribs; the idea is that those with the ability to roll the pelvis well will be able to do this without moving their legs or upper body.

Dr. Mette Uldahl of Vejle Hestepraksis in Denmark and the country's head Fédération Equestre Internationale veterinarian recently worked with a research team to study the relationship between balance and riding success. The researchers asked 20 female dressage riders to sit on an inflated exercise ball. They were then asked to roll the ball left, right and in circles using only their pelvis without engaging their legs or upper body. The team also asked the riders to balance on the ball, with legs lifted and arms outstretched, for 30 seconds.

The researchers also investigated the rider's performance and their horse's heart rate, stress level, and behavior during a dressage test ridden in an indoor arena. A dressage judge also scored each pair, offering notes on the duo's quality and harmony.

The scientists found that riders' ability to roll the exercise ball correlated with their quality and harmony score. The team also found that riders with a greater ability to balance themselves on an exercise ball without using their feet actually earned lower quality and harmony scores. These riders' horses also showed more conflict behaviors while being ridden.

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The researchers conclude that though balance is important in riding and should be practiced, it's important that the type of balance practiced is that which best creates harmony with the horse.

Not Hot To Trot? Underlying Pain May Be To Blame

If a normally game, non-gaited horse begins showing signs of reluctance to trot, but instead paces or breaks into the canter, a call to the vet may be in order, Dr. Bruce Connally of Wyoming Equine in Berthoud, Colorado, tells EQUUS magazine.

A horse suddenly is unwilling to go forward or one that has a significant gait change (like refusing to trot, but being willing to pace) is trying to tell his rider that something is amiss. Loping or gaiting instead of trotting can be ways in which horses seek to minimize pain.

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If the horse is older, arthritis may be to blame. Other possibilities include foot pain, neurologic pain like equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) or pain in the back or pelvis. The outcome, including the possibility of continued riding, is dependent on the veterinarian's findings.

Sidewinder Gait: A Poor Prognosis No Matter The Cause

Sidewinder gait in horses looks as odd as its name: An affected horse walks with his body and pelvis drifting out to one side; a severely affected horse may spin or circle with their hind legs moving in one direction and their thoracic limbs moving differently to compensate.

The disease is poorly understood, in part because it's difficult for the horse to stand in one place or symmetrically load his hind limbs. Sidewinder gait can come on gradually or suddenly.

Drs. Monica Aleman, Emily Berryhill, Kevin Woolard, Charlotte Easton‐Jones, Tania Kozikowski‐Nicholas, Sue Dyson and Isabelle Kilcoyne hypothesized that the gait might be caused by neurologic or musculoskeletal issues. They completed a retrospective study of 37 horses that were seen for sidewinder gait at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis, and the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, between 2000 and 2019.

Some horses were excluded from the study for a variety of reasons; the scientists used a total 24 horses for the study. They found that the average age of the affected horses was 18.9 years old and that sidewinder gait came on suddenly in 10 of the cases.

In total, 16 cases were caused by neurologic issues, including dynamic thoracolumbar spinal cord compression (five cases), equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (four cases), thoracic myelopathy (four cases), gliosis (two cases) and thrombosis of thoracic spinal cord segments (one case).

Eight cases of sidewinder gait were caused by non-neurologic reasons: osteoarthritis of the hip (four cases), multiple displaced pelvic fractures (two cases), rupture of the ligament at the femoral head (one case) and severe necrotic damage of pelvic muscles (one case).

The scientists reported that though short-term improvement was reported, the sidewinder gait remained unresolved in all horses. The fatality rate was nearly 80 percent (19 of the 24 horses). Of the horses that lived, not one resumed the level of previous activity.

The researchers determined that sidewinder gait is normally seen in older horses of any breed or sex and can have neurologic or musculoskeletal origins. The condition has a poor prognosis for function and life.

Read the study here.