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Effect of rider experience on the jumping kinematics of riding horses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Pippa NR Powers  and
Anna M Kavanagh
Pippa NR Powers*
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Anna M Kavanagh
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
*
*[email protected]
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of an experienced rider and a novice rider on the stride kinematics of experienced riding horses. SVHS video recordings (50 Hz) were made of ten experienced riding horses jumping a 1.05 m-high vertical fence. The horses were randomly assigned to jump the fence under two experimental conditions: ridden by an experienced rider and ridden by a novice rider. Three trials for each ridden condition were analysed, and the effects of the rider type on four kinematic variables were examined using a repeated measures ANOVA. No significant differences were found between the riders for velocity and stride length during the approach, or for the take-off and landing distances from the fence. The results suggest that the rider's body position and body movement had no effect on the horse's jumping kinematics as measured in this study, and that each horse jumped the fence in its own manner, regardless of what the rider was doing. This is contrary to the current belief that a horse's jumping technique is strongly influenced by the rider. These findings have relevance for both horses and riders, in that if an experienced horse does not respond to a rider's instructions as expected, then the implications for training of the horse and the rider are considerable.

Keywords

rider effectshorsesjumpingathletic performance
Type
Research Article
Information
Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , November 2005 , pp. 263 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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