Horses in study showed dramatic fall in pain-related behaviors after going bitless
Sixty-six horses in study showed an 87% reduction in pain signals after being moved to bit-free riding.
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Training
Research articles on the care and training of the horse.
Busted! The top 10 myths of distance riding
“The first ride is the toughest. Take that first step.”
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Sounding out lameness: Subtle signs revealed in new video series
Series to help riders, trainers and coaches to identify the early signs of pain in the horse.
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Horses can read and remember human emotions, study finds
“This is the first time any mammal has been shown to have this particular ability.”
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Brain injury blood test to help concussion sufferers return to play
Latest concussion research outlines new blood test to brain injury biomarkers; traumatic brain injury (TBI) associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; and women have a longer recovery period than men.
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Safety with horses focus of Aust national conference
People.Horses.Culture conference in Adelaide suitable for “anyone who supervises interactions between horses and people”.
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Online survey of horse owners explores equine back problems
“Hopefully this research will set a solid base for further research and eventually help in preventing the onset of equine back problems.”
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OTTBs to play part in new DNA test to identify racehorse fracture risk
New test will provide a breakthrough in managing the risks associated with fracture in racehorses.
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Correct use of rising trot on a circle renders a horse more symmetrical, study finds
Their findings offer an explanation to the equestrian tradition of rising on the “correct diagonal”.
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All you ever needed to know about donkeys: New, free textbook the definitive volume
The Clinical Companion of the Donkey to be published in five languages and provided free to learning institutes around the world.
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The long and short of it: How leg length affects your riding position
When you are sitting in your saddle you should never feel uncomfortable or out of balance because you are fighting the position the saddle puts you in.
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Welfare impact of our lives with horses scrutinized in study
Owners and professionals interact with horses in many different ways, but to what degree do these various interventions affect welfare?
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Natural ability can get horses only so far in the human world
The system traps riders and horse owners into an artificial world where the value is winning at all cost.
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Too heavy for your horse? There are consequences, pilot study finds
“The results do not mean that heavy riders should not ride, but suggest . . . they should ride a horse of appropriate size and fitness.”
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Rider-weight research may not ultimately deliver an ideal ratio, researcher says
“It depends on so many factors,” says Dr Sue Dyson, head of clinical orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust’s Centre in England.
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Excitable Thoroughbreds show a higher stress response to track workouts – study
Researchers in Hungary measured plasma cortisol levels in study involving 20 Thoroughbreds.
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Vertical challenges: Saddle fitting for shorter riders
There are considerations for all body types, male or female, which unfortunately too many saddle manufacturers do not look at in their saddle designs. Too many saddles are still very much ‘cookie-cutter’ models.
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Elastic fantastic: How horses get the spring in their step
Looking at equine locomotion and performance in terms of dynamics verses kinematics deeply modifies riding and training principles.
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The evolution of the saddle tree: Is yours doing the right job?
Saddle-making history shows us that saddle trees looked almost the same for 4300 years.
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“Whole horse” approach the key to preventing lameness
The principles of riding and training that created the problem cannot be used to resolve the problem. This is the paradigm shift that responsible riders and trainers, as well as horse owners, have to face.
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