Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The horse has been domesticated for several thousand years. It has gone from being used primarily for food and transportation, to become one of the most popular pets in Sweden. With over 150,000 practitioners, horseback riding is one of the biggest sports in Sweden and there is a variety of specializations to choose from. One orientation is western riding which is a broad sport with several disciplines where most originate in cattle work and other ranch tasks. Western riding is a growing sport in Sweden with an increasing number of practitioners and with many different organizations and associations, it is important that the correct knowledge of the equipment used is disseminated.

Artificial aids are available in a variety of designs and the most common variants used by western riders in Sweden is draw reins or some forms of martingale. The attitude against artificial aids vary, some believe they are beneficial, while others believe that they give a false sense of security to the rider.

Both draw reins and martingales prevent the horse from being able to raise their head by restricting the movement in the horse's head and neck. The objective of draw reins is to make the horse to allocate more weight to the hind legs. To achieve this the draw reins have to be combined with a normal rein and it is also important that that the rider has great experience and knowledge of how the draw reins affect the horse and the potential risks it entails the horse.

If you restraint the horse's movement in the head and neck, with for example draw reins, you also affect the rest of the horses body. There is a risk that the activity in the back could be reduced and the horse's movements tend to get "stilted" which is opposite of what one wishes to achieve. If the rider, with or without artificial aid, force the horse in to a certain ride style it affects not only the body and movement of the horse, but also the mind and it can make the horse experience frustration. To make facts about how the horse is affected by different types of equipment, easy for riding schools, trainers and riders to access it will reduce the misuse of this type of equipment.

To be able to demonstrate effects of the reins, I believe that more research is needed. Adapting studies by how the actual user of the reins looks will make it easier to justify if the use of the reins is to advantage or disadvantage for both horse and rider.