Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Swedish Trotting association was formed in 1925. They are the ones who design the regulations concerning what is permissible and not permissible for the horse, driver and trainer, when they have a license at a Swedish racing track. The Veterinary department of Swedish Trotting association decides in consultation with representatives from veterinaries around the country what is allowed and not allowed, based proven experience, combined with the availability of scientific data and Veterinary Department's own assessment.

After stricter regulations for good animal welfare from the Swedish government, Swedish Trotting association is going to work out a workable model for how new equipment can be tested in the future to see how the equipment affects the horse. In the future, all equipment will be objectively tested before approved. The purpose of this work was to develop a well-functioning model for this.
The research-question for this work is:
Is this study design a well-functioning model of how the equipment should be tested in the future?

The equipment used for designing this model was bitless bridle with a bit. In Sweden today, you are not allowed to compete without a bit in the mouth of the horse.
This experiment included six racehorses with different breed, ages, gender and temperament. They were driven with a bitless bridle with bit at least eight occasions, at least twice a week for four weeks.

Three drivers drove two horses throughout the experiment. After each workout, the driver wrote down how he / she had experienced the ride. After four weeks, the drivers did fill in a protocol how they experienced the equipment throughout the period in view of safety, animal welfare, public, infectious disease control, user manual and general.
The result is based on a total of 48 observations where the drivers’ didn´t have anything to say about the design of the equipment or the information about it. Where there is disagreement is rather over the workouts where some drivers felt that they didn´t have any control of the horse.
This study is a well-function modell for testing and evaluation new equipment in the future based on the result this study concluded.