Abstract
Simple SummaryEquitation science describes an approach to horse training and riding that focuses on embracing the cognitive abilities of horses, their natural behaviour, and how human riders can use signalling and rewards to best effect. This approach is concerned with both horse welfare and rider safety, and this review discusses how equitation science can minimise risk to humans around horses and enhance horse welfare.Equitation science is an evidence-based approach to horse training and riding that focuses on a thorough understanding of both equine ethology and learning theory. This combination leads to more effective horse training, but also plays a role in keeping horse riders and trainers safe around horses. Equitation science underpins ethical equitation, and recognises the limits of the horse’s cognitive and physical abilities. Equitation is an ancient practice that has benefited from a rich tradition that sees it flourishing in contemporary sporting pursuits. Despite its history, horse-riding is an activity for which neither horses nor humans evolved, and it brings with it significant risks to the safety of both species. This review outlines the reasons horses may behave in ways that endanger humans and how training choices can exacerbate this. It then discusses the recently introduced 10 Principles of Equitation Science and explains how following these principles can minimise horse-related risk to humans and enhance horse welfare.
Highlights
Equitation science is defined as the art and practice of horsemanship and horse-riding [1]
It is based on the founding principle of promoting the use of an evidence-based approach to explain and emphasise best practice in horse training and riding [2]
Increases in arousal beyond its optimal level lead to ever-poorer performance, while at the same time facilitating bursts of speed or strength. This can be explained by attributes of animals in high arousal that may impair performance, such as increased muscular tonus reducing the capacity for precise movements, and the sharpening of focus onto a single task or stimulus that may make animals less attentive and unable to respond to other stimuli [78]
Summary
Equitation science is defined as the art and practice of horsemanship and horse-riding [1]. Equitation science has a strong focus on horse ethology, acknowledging the way horses learn and their adaptive behavioural tendencies [11] In this way, riders and trainers can be guided to work with horses in ways that are within the species’ cognitive limitations [12]. Punishment is likely to impact negatively on equine welfare, but may shift the focus of the horse to finding safety and relief from conflict rather than performing cued behaviours that are not relevant to their current goals [19] This could lead to defensive behaviours or flight responses that threaten the safety of horse riders and trainers. Horse-riding is known to be a more dangerous activity than motorcycling, with most injuries occurring to the head, trunk, vertebrae, and wrists [20]
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