Stabilization of wrist position during horseback riding at trot

Abstract

AbstractKinematic analysis has been used to understand performance in many sports, but few objective studies of equestrian technique have been published. The objective was to describe movements of the rider's torso and arms relative to movements of the horse's pelvis and shoulder and the position of the bit during trotting. Six experienced female riders rode the same dressage horse at a sitting trot, with rider and horse kinematics collected. The trot is a symmetrical gait, which implies kinematic symmetry between the first and the second halves of the gait. Three trials of a half stride, from left forelimb lift-off to right forelimb lift-off, were analysed for each subject. In all riders, trunk angle was maximal (backward tilt) in early stance, at which time the rider's hips were closest to and the rider's shoulders were furthest from the bit. Trunk angle was minimal (forward tilt) at the end of stance when the shoulders were closest to and the hips were furthest from the bit. Range of motion of the rider's hips and shoulders varied greatly between subjects. Movements of the rider's shoulder joint and elbow joint were synchronized with the trunk oscillations, so the distance from the rider's wrist to the horse's bit changed by only 15 ± 3 mm during the stride. It is concluded that the six experienced riders were able to accommodate the motion of the horse's body while maintaining a consistent contact with the bit by minimizing changes in the distance from the wrist to the bit.