Saddle Research Trust

New Series:

A Horse Owner’s Guide to Interpreting Research Evidence 

With the internet and social media, it is easier than ever to get your hands on articles, blogs and webinars about horse riding and management. However, not all information is equal! The best information comes from primary scientific research; this is the outcome of controlled experiments to test new ideas. It can be quite daunting to consider reading some of this research, and people usually turn to other sources of information, which are often not evidence based. This can lead to the spread of misinformation, which can be detrimental to the welfare of the horse, the very thing we are trying to avoid!  



This series aims to help those involved with managing horses to understand and interpret some of the intervention research available, and to be more confident about using it to make informed decisions. Here we use the word intervention to mean something that has been changed, for example a different piece of tack or equipment, a training method, or a feed supplement. This is one of the most common study types that you will come across, and they are relatively easy to interpret once you are familiar with them. This month we will be discussing the basic principles of how these research studies are designed.   

A new study identifies improved welfare decreases the incidence of hyperactive behaviour when ridden, and subsequently reduces the likelihood of rider injury.

It is commonly understood that horse riding, regardless of discipline, is one of the most dangerous sports for people to participate in. Whilst previous research has suggested that horse behaviour when ridden may be a main contributor to injury risks (1), little more is known about contributing factors which may increase or decrease the likelihood of serious injuries or fatalities of riders when participating within their discipline, or during day to day riding.

With the development of the Ridden Horse Performance Checklist, greater emphasis is being placed on ensuring horse welfare when ridden. Despite this, behaviours such as spooking, flightiness, bolting and bucking may be perceived by some riders as normal equid behaviour. Conversely, these characteristics when ridden fall into the ‘hyperactive behaviour’ category, and may evidence compromised welfare in some animals. Such hyperactive behaviours can arise from pain or stress related causes, such as rider influences, injury, aversive equipment, or ill-fitting tack (2), or from poor training, resulting in confusion. It is, therefore, highly likely that hyperactive behaviour when ridden suggests compromised equid welfare.

The Horse-Human System. A simplified schematic illustrating the pivotal role of horse care and training practices in determining horse welfare and human safety. Each node represents a broad construct within the system, beneath which are innumerable elements and interconnections (for more detail see Luke et al., 2022).

The Saddle Research Trust held its 4th International Conference on December 11th, 2021, Welfare and Performance of the Ridden Horse: Vision for the Future. World Horse Welfare (WHW) Chief Executive, Roly Owers, gave a compelling opening address wherein he emphasised the timeliness of the conference theme given the current magnitude of voices from both within and outside equine circles, questioning the ethics and welfare consequences of riding horses. 

The renowned equine charity WHW, employs a practical approach to the welfare of all equids, and has been championing the horse-human partnership for nigh on 100 years. The charity works with its partners to shape policy, influencing important bodies such as WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) and actively supports the responsible involvement of horses in sport. Notably, WHW has a long-standing relationship with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), assisting in the drafting of their code of conduct for welfare of the horse. Roly highlighted the fact that currently, various equine disciplines are petitioning the charity on how they might improve their welfare policies.  



Roly discussed the concept of a social license to operate (SLO), which is an unwritten contract between society and a group whereby public approval is granted to the group’s activity. We have already seen where the loss of a SLO has resulted in the demise of many animal-based activities such as circuses, marine mammal attractions and fox hunting. Could the world of horse sport be under the threat of losing its SLO and if so, how can we maintain it?  

Share YOUR success stories with us!

Continuing on from the SRT 'Happy Athlete' feature, we'd love to see examples of your horses enjoying their ridden careers. Whether that be happy hacking or competing at the upper echelons of the sport, help us to spread examples of the vast numbers of good equine role models at all levels and aspire to proliferate a new normal of happy, healthy horses in the media!

Share to your socials using the tag #SRTHappyAthlete or email to [email protected] 

Saddle Research Trust

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