Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:07:46.619Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A preliminary investigation of rider position during walk, trot and canter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Thomas Lovett ,
Emma Hodson-Tole  and
Kathryn Nankervis
Thomas Lovett
Affiliation:
Hartpury College, Hartpury, Gloucestershire GL19 3BE, UK
Emma Hodson-Tole
Affiliation:
Hartpury College, Hartpury, Gloucestershire GL19 3BE, UK
Kathryn Nankervis*
Affiliation:
Hartpury College, Hartpury, Gloucestershire GL19 3BE, UK
*
*Kathryn.Nankervis@hartpury.ac.uk
Get access

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant differences exist in the position of a horse rider when assessed at different points in the horse's stride cycle at walk, trot and canter on the right rein. Video analysis was used to determine the absolute angles of the trunk, thigh and lower leg of five subjects during the walk, rising trot and canter. The range of movement of the trunk, thigh and lower leg during each gait was also determined. At walk significant differences in the rider's trunk angle were found between limb impacts (P<0.05). At trot significant differences were found in all angles between impacts of the horse's diagonal limb pairs (P<0.05). At canter, there were no significant differences in rider position between limb impacts. The range of movement of the trunk was 5.9°, 4.1° and 4.7° for walk, trot and canter, respectively. The corresponding ranges of the thigh and lower leg were 1.9°, 7.3° and 4.4°, and 2.9°, 5.2° and 3.9°, respectively. This preliminary study has demonstrated differences in rider posture between limb impacts in walk and trot. Further work is necessary to investigate the forces acting on the rider during each gait and the postural strategies employed by riders to maintain a balanced position. Such work is a necessary forerunner to the study of rider influence on horse performance.

Keywords

horse-riderridingkinematics
Type
Research Article
Information
Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , May 2005 , pp. 71 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Podhajsky, A (1994). The Complete Training of Horse and Rider in the Principles of Classical Horsemanship, p. 212. London: The Sportsman's Press.Google Scholar
2Belton, C (2000). Advanced Techniques of Dressage: From the Official Instruction Handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation Book 2, p. 43. Buckingham, UK: Kenilworth Press.Google Scholar
3Panni, AS and Tulli, A (1994) Analysis of the movements involved in horse riding. Journal of Sports Traumatology and Related Research 16: 196–205.Google Scholar
4Clayton, HM, Lanovaz, JL, Schamhardt, HC, van Wessum, R (1999) The effects of a rider's mass on ground reaction forces and fetlock kinematics at the trot. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 30: 218–221.Google Scholar
5Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, MM, Barneveld, A and Schamhardt, HC (1995) Effects of weight and riding on workload and locomotion during treadmill exercise. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 18: 413–417.Google Scholar
6Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, MM, Wensing, TH, Barnveld, A and Breukink, HJ (1991). Work load in the horse during vaulting competition. In: Persson, SGB, Lindholm, A and Jeffcott, LB (eds), Equine Exercise Physiology 3. Davis, CA: ICEEP Publications, pp. 331–336.Google Scholar
7Powers, PNR and Harrison, AJ (2004) Influences of a rider on the rotation of the horse-rider system during jumping. Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology 1(1): 33–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Westerling, D (1983) A study of the physical demands of riding. European Journal of Applied Physiology 50: 373–382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Devienne, M-F, Guezennec, C-Y (2000) Energy expenditure of horse riding. European Journal of Applied Physiology 82: 499–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Schils, SJ, Greer, NL, Stoner, LJ and Kobluk, CN (1993) Kinematic analysis of the equestrian–walk, posting trot and sitting trot. Human Movement Science 12: 693–712.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Peham, C, Licka, T, Kapaun, M and Scheidl, M (2001) A new method to quantify harmony of the horse-rider system in dressage. Sports Engineering 4: 95–101.Google Scholar
12Terada, K (2000) Comparison of head movement and EMG activity of muscles between advanced and novice horseback riders at different gaits. Journal of Equine Science 11: 83–90.Google Scholar
13Terada, K, Mullineaux, DR, Lanovaz, J, Kato, K and Clayton, HM (2004) Electromyographic analysis of the rider's muscles at trot. Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology 1(3): 193–198.Google Scholar
14Meyer, H (1996) Toward the coherence of position of neck, motion of back and movement of a horse. Pferdeheilkunde 12: 807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Meyer, H (1999) Studies of the effect of the rider's weight and hand actions on the motion of the horse. Tierarzliche Umschau 54: 498–503.Google Scholar
16Clayton, HM (1995) Comparison of the stride kinematics of the collected, medium and extended walks in horses. American Journal of Veterinary Science 56: 849–852.Google Scholar
17Buchner, HHF, Savelberg, HHCM, Schamhardt, HC and Barneveld, A (1996) Head and trunk movement adaptations in horses with experimentally induced fore- and hindlimb lameness. Equine Veterinary Journal 28: 71–76.Google Scholar
18Clayton, HM (1994) Comparison of the collected, working, medium and extended canters. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 17: 16–19.Google Scholar
19Hamill, J and Knutzen, KM (1995). Biomechanical Basis of Human Movement, p. 235. London: Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar
20Clayton, HM (1994) Comparison of the stride kinematics of the collected, working, medium and extended trot in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 26: 230–234.Google Scholar