Abstract
Riding racehorses is a high-risk profession and optimizing safety alongside performance is paramount. Horseshoes play a critical role in providing traction with the ground surface and are therefore a major determinant of safety. However, the subjective perceptions of expert riders influence attitudes towards using different shoes and must be taken into consideration before any changes may be implemented. This study used a questionnaire-based method to evaluate jockey opinion of four shoeing conditions (aluminum, steel, GluShu, and barefoot) trialed at gallop over turf and artificial surfaces. Nine Lickert-style questions explored impact, cushioning, responsiveness, grip, uniformity, smoothness of ride, safety, adaptation period, and overall rating for each shoe-surface combination. A total of 94 questionnaires, based on 15 horse-rider pairs, were assessed using descriptive statistics and linear mixed models performed in SPSS (P < .05). Data indicate that shoe type significantly affected all question responses, with the exception of impact. Surface-type significantly affected perception of grip and safety. Overall, jockeys showed a preference for aluminum and steel shoes across both artificial and turf tracks. These rated “excellent” and were considered to be “very supportive” in approximately 80% of trials, with a 100% “active” response, good grip, and a quick adaptation period. In contrast, barefoot and GluShu conditions were generally considered “moderately supportive,” with barefoot appearing favorable on the artificial surface. On turf, barefoot was deemed the least smooth and the only condition that jockeys sometimes marked “unsafe” (17% of responses). Future work aims to investigate the relationship between jockey opinion and hoof kinematic data.
Highlights
Horseshoes and surface type govern the impact hardness, cushioning, responsiveness, grip and uniformity experienced at the hoof-ground interface during a hoof strike [1]
Four riders were available for this study: Jockey-1 is currently a racehorse trainer but was previously a jockey, and has over 20 years of experience in the racing industry; Jockey-2 raced for 6 years, 10 years prior to the study, and currently works at the BRS as a riding instructor; Jockey-3 has been working in racing for approximately 3 years, and currently works as a travelling head person, as well as riding 4 horses per day 6 days per week, ranging from yearlings to older horses; Jockey-4 has a category A and point-to-point license, with in excess of 40 rides and 5–6 years of experience
There were 94 questionnaires completed by the jockeys for 94 trials
Summary
Horseshoes and surface type govern the impact hardness, cushioning, responsiveness, grip and uniformity experienced at the hoof-ground interface during a hoof strike [1]. The selection of horseshoes and surfaces is key to optimising performance and safety in many equestrian disciplines. In the racing industry, jockeys, horse owners, farriers and veterinarians appear cautious to move away from traditional horseshoe types, namely aluminium and light-steel shoes. This may reflect a lack of study on novel versus existing horseshoe types suited for racehorses. The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK. The British Racing School, Snailwell Road, Newmarket, CB8 7NU, UK
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