Horseback Research Articles

An enhanced label-free proteomics approach for deep-diving into equine plasma proteome, including the discovery of protein biomarkers for strenuous exercise.

Plasma proteins have been a valuable source of biomarkers for clinical uses and for monitoring of the illicit use of prohibited substances or practices in equine sports. We have previously reported the first use of label-free proteomics in profiling equine plasma proteome. This study aimed to refine the method by systematically evaluating various plasma fractionation methods and the use of narrower precursor mass ranges in data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry (MS). Tandem fractionations of equine plasma with octanoic acid precipitation followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) with C4 cartridges provided the largest increase in the number of new proteins identified. The use of two narrow precursor mass ranges of m/z 400-600 and 600-800 in DIA not only identified most proteins detectable by using a single mass range of m/z 350-1500 but also identified ~27% more proteins. The improved method was applied to analyse the plasma proteome of 'postrace' samples which, unlike other samples, had been collected from racehorses soon after racing. Multivariate data analysis has identified upregulation of 14 proteins and downregulation of six proteins in postrace plasma compared with the non-postrace plasma samples. Literature review of these proteins has provided evidence of exercise-induced haemolysis and changes in antioxidant enzyme activities, kinin system, insulin signalling and energy metabolism after strenuous exercise. The improved method has enabled a deeper profiling of the equine plasma proteome and identified the proteins associated with normal physiological changes after racing which are potential confounding factors in the development of a biomarker approach for doping control.

Risk Factors for Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome Incidence in Adult Icelandic Riding Horses.

A high prevalence of both squamous (ESGD) and glandular (EGGD) ulcers was previously found in, mainly young, Icelandic horses coming into training for the first time. This study evaluated risk factors for gastric ulcers in Icelandic riding horses at various ages and stages of training. The horses (n = 211) were gastroscoped from 21 equine establishments across Iceland. A variety of morphometric, clinical, behavioural and management factors were evaluated as potential risk factors for gastroscopically significant (grade ≥ 2/4: found in 27% of horses) or gastroscopically severe (grade 3 or 4/4: found in ~10% of horses) ESGD or gastroscopically significant EGGD (grade ≥ 1/2: found in 46.4%). Body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), stable/turnout behaviour, exercise intensity/frequency and age were not significantly associated with ESGD or EGGD ulcer score. However, having come off the pasture into training for 4 weeks or less was a significant risk factor for gastroscopically significant and severe ESGD compared to 5 weeks or more. For both EGGD and ESGD, "region" was important. Gastroscopically significant EGGD and gastroscopically severe ESGD were more prevalent in those showing clinical signs often associated with ulcers. Geldings were more likely to have gastroscopically significant ESGD than both mares and stallions and more EGGD than stallions. Being stabled, but spending >2 h/day out in the paddock, compared with <2 h paddock time or full-time turnout, was protective for gastroscopically significant ESGD as was being fed complementary feed (all fed <1 g non-structural carbohydrate (NSC)/kg/BW/meal). Being at a training establishment for >4 weeks was protective for gastroscopically significant and gastroscopically severe ESGD but not EGGD. This study confirms the relatively low prevalence of ESGD in Icelandic horses being kept in training establishments and fed low NSC diets but highlights the high prevalence of EGGD.

Impaired efficacy of fenbendazole and ivermectin against intestinal nematodes in adult horses in Iran

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of fenbendazole and ivermectin on strongyles and Parascaris sp. infecting adult riding horses in three regions with different climates. During 2021 and 2022 fecal specimens were randomly collected from 483 horses older than three years in 31 equestrian clubs in Hamedan (n = 217), Yazd (n = 146) and Tabriz cities (n = 120). Eggs were counted by McMaster technique, and the strongyle larvae were identified using coproculture, PCR and sequencing. Horses with strongyles and Parascaris egg counts ≥150 were enrolled in fecal egg count reduction (FECR) examination following treatment with ivermectin or fenbendazole. In total, 26.5% of examined horses were positive with at least one parasite. Infection rates varied in three cities i.e., 25.8% in Hamedan, 28.8% in Yazd, 25% in Tabriz. Fifty-seven horses had FECR measured. FECR below <90% was observed for IVM-strongyle in two horses in Tabriz, for FBZ-strongyle in two horses in Tabriz and two horses in Hamedan, for IVM-Parascaris in one horse in all three cities, and for FBZ-Parascaris in one horse in Yazd. Furthermore, FECR 90–100% was observed in IVM-Parascaris and FBZ -Parascaris groups in Tabriz. Data herein presented demonstrate different degrees of resistance of strongyles and Parascaris infecting horses in Iran against both ivermectin and fenbendazole. Since non-principled use of anthelminthics is common among horse owners, urgency of test-and-treatment strategy should be educated and implemented by policy-making organizations. Evaluating efficacy of different anthelminthics and choosing the most effective treatment in each region is suggested.

A Delphi Study to Determine International and National Equestrian Expert Opinions on Domains and Sub-Domains Essential to Managing Sporthorse Health and Welfare in the Olympic Disciplines.

The public is increasingly questioning equestrianism's social license to operate. While the focus historically centered on horseracing, increased scrutiny is now being placed on how dressage, showjumping, and eventing are addressing equine management and welfare concerns. Nominated equestrian federation and equestrian organization experts (n = 104) directly involved in international and/or national-level horse sports took part in a four-stage, iterative Delphi to obtain consensus on what factors should be considered essential to manage sporthorse health and welfare. Five core domains were agreed as essential: training management, competition management, young horse management, health status and veterinary management, and the horse-human relationship. Two further domains: stable and environmental management, and welfare assessment were rated as important but not essential, as most respondents felt that these areas were already managed well. Participants felt increased education and guidance combined with further policy development and regulation are needed to support stakeholders to optimize sporthorse management. An appetite to engage with research to generate evidence that promotes sporthorse welfare was evident. The development of a sporthorse welfare charter and evidence-based guidelines to inform the management and monitoring of sporthorses' health and welfare are recommended to provide horses with a good life and to safeguard the future of equestrian sports.

Low back pain occurrences and gynecological disorders in female equestrians and strengthening of core stability muscles lumbar spine

Introduction. Women involved in amateur equestrian activities may encounter spine pain and discomfort in the lower pelvic region. Aim of the Study. A research hypothesis was established, suggesting that training the muscles responsible for stabilising the lumbar spine may have a positive impact on reducing both lumbar spine pain sensations and gynaecological disorders among female horse riders. The study aimed to validate the hypothesis and compare the Revised Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Scale Questionnaire in the Polish version and the author’s questionnaire on gynaecological complaints between the study and the control group. Material and methodology. The study involved women (n = 23) engaged in equestrian activities with an age range of 22.23 ± 2.78 years, research group n = 11 and n = 12 control group. Questionnaires used: Revised Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Scale and the author’s on gynaecological ailments. Questionnaires were completed before and after a training session focused on exercising the stabilising muscles. Daily exercise training was conducted in the afternoon for six weeks (30 repetitions for each exercise). Results. The results were presented in the form of graphs. Conclusions. The six-week training of the stabilising muscles has a positive impact on reducing lumbar back pain and a slight effect on gynaecological complaints.

A dual spatial analysis method based on recreation opportunity spectrum and analytical hierarchy process for outdoor recreation site suitability

Spatial planning tools are required to conduct outdoor recreational activities in harmony with the natural environment. This study introduces a dual spatial analysis method in which the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are run sequentially to evaluate different criteria groups. This study was conducted in the coastal region of the Enez district of Edirne, one of Turkey's northwestern provinces. With ROS, remoteness, and evidence of humans criteria were considered unweighted, and four land classes, urban, rural, natural with road, and primitive-semiprimitive, and activities suitable for these land classes were determined in the GIS environment. These are six terrestrial activities including nature walk, cycling, horse riding, picnic, camping, and wildlife observation, and four water-based activities including canoeing, swimming, diving, and handline fishing. With the AHP, nine natural criteria were analyzed as weighted and four suitability levels were determined for each activity in the GIS environment, as not suitable, marginally suitable, moderately suitable, and highly suitable. Sensitivity analysis by changing the priorities of the criteria showed that the analysis using the AHP results was reliable especially for determining highly suitable areas, and could be helpful for outdoor recreation planning. Finally, the suitability maps matched the ROS land classes, and the verified final maps were created. This study provides reliable results, showing that planners and decision-makers can adapt to similar areas with different administrative or geographical boundaries. Simultaneously, it contains a series of information that will contribute to planning components such as exploring, developing, diversifying, and presenting outdoor recreation opportunities and restricting them when necessary.

Early life jumping traits: Are they good proxies for success in show jumping competitions in Belgian warmblood horses?

The main goal of the Belgian Warmblood horse studbook (BWP) is to breed successful competition horses, with emphasis on show jumping. However, competition results are only available later in life and competition traits are lowly heritable. Hence, the use of phenotypes that record performance-related traits at an early life stage could help increase genetic progress. In this study, we evaluated the potential of eleven linear scored early life jumping traits assessed during jumping in freedom (2-5 years old) or under the saddle (4-6 years old) as proxies for later success in show jumping competitions. To this end, we estimated their heritabilities and genetic correlations with the competition trait, adjusted fence height, by using 2170 free jumping records, 1588 jumping under saddle records, 674,527 show jumping competition records and almost 81,000 informative horses in the pedigree. As participation of young horses in these contests is on a voluntary basis, a pre-selection most probably exists. To verify this hypothesis, we investigated the association between participation to young horse contests and participation to show jumping competitions later on (called here start status phenotype). We also estimated heritabilities for "start status in free jumping contest", "start status in jumping under saddle contest" and "start status in free jumping or jumping under saddle contest" by fitting threshold models. Furthermore, we calculated genetic correlations between these traits and adjusted fence height and calculated the correlations between EBVs for start status in young horse contests and EBVs for success in competitions. Estimated heritabilities of early life jumping traits ranged between 0.05 and 0.30. Their genetic correlations with adjusted fence height were moderate to high (rg = 0.37-0.63). Relatively more horses that participated in young horse contests competed later on compared to horses that did not participate in young horse contests (p-value < 0.001). They were also significantly more successful in show jumping competitions. Furthermore, start status in young horse contests was moderately heritable in BWP horses (h2 = 0.56-0.65) and moderately to highly correlated with later success in competitions (rg = 0.30-0.77). Hence, we showed that ELJ traits are good proxies for later success in competitions and that a pre-selection of horses occurs in young horse contests. It is suggested to stimulate participation to young horse contests to achieve a more representative sample of the population. Early life jumping traits can therefore optimize the genetic progress for show jumping performance.

Motor Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

Though not considered a core diagnostic criterion, most children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present with motor impairments that persist into adolescence. In addition, compared to same-age peers, children with ASD participate less in physical, leisure, and recreation activities. The World Health Organization considers participation to be critical to quality of life. This scoping review presents the types of interventions used to address gross motor impairments, and the standardized outcome measures within the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), used to evaluate the impact of the interventions. Results produced 17 articles and five types of motor interventions, including land-based exercise, motor physical activity interventions; sports-based, active recreation; movement-based mind-body interventions; equine or therapeutic horseback riding, and active video games/virtual and augmented reality. The interventions were provided by either a single discipline or an interprofessional team, with physical and recreational therapy being underrepresented as team members. Most studies used outcome measures in the body functions and structures, and activities domains of the ICF and few in the participation domain. The results of this study will be important to professionals for planning, implementing, and monitoring interventions for children with ASD.

Analysis of the causes of inversion of the large colon in horses

Gastrointestinal diseases in horses are one of the most common causes of death among sport horses. Volvulus of the large colon is one of the most severe forms of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of horses. The disease is acute and requires immediate hospitalization and surgical intervention. With complete volvulus of the large colon, in the absence of surgical treatment, death occurs in 100 percent of cases. The limited number and inaccessibility of specialized clinics capable of performing this operation make the problem of prevention, as well as timely detection and treatment of concomitant diseases that can provoke volvulus of the large colon, urgent. In this article, we analyzed the literature data on this issue, and also present our own statistics obtained during the collection of anamneses from patients operated on in our clinic in the period 2021-2023, with a diagnosis of volvulus of the large colon. The main reasons that can provoke volvulus of the large colon can be considered gross violations in the technology of feeding and keeping horses, lack of conditions for daily exercise, the use of medications, the side effects of which can be inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, lack of control over the condition of teeth, recent foaling in mares. During the period 2021-2023, twelve patients diagnosed with volvulus of the large colon were operated on in our clinic. Six of these were mares, one arrived three weeks after foaling, five were geldings aged 7, 10, 16 and 19 years and one was a stallion.

Use of composting to produce organic fertilizer from horse stall residues

The development of agriculture in Brazil has changed the role of horses from working animals to animals for sport competition and recreation. Horse breeding is a relevant activity in Brazilian agribusiness and approximately 6 million animals are currently involved in such activity. Recreation and sport horses are usually confined in stalls, where the animals spend the days. A variety of materials are used for bedding horse stalls, such as wood shavings, rice husks and dry grasses. These materials are removed daily or weekly. Horse manure is not well regarded as good plant fertilizer. The present work aims to develop a methodology for the reuse of waste from equine stalls (wood shavings, feces, urine, and animal food remains) through composting, characterizing, and evaluating the potential of the final product as a biofertilizer. For this, beds of 2 horses were used, composed of wood shavings, feces, urine, and food leftovers dropped by the animals on the bedding. Two types of wood shavings were tested – sawdust and chips. After 15 days of confinement, the litter was removed and went through a composting process with daily control of temperature, humidity, aeration, and smell until stabilization of the compost, which occurred after approximately 60 days. After this period, part of the material was collected for analysis of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentration, and C/N ratio. The results obtained indicate that the final compost is suitable for use as organic fertilizer.

Yaşamak İçin Savaşmak: Türk Kültüründe Boksun Tarihsel Gelişimi

Sports have been an integral part of Turkish culture since ancient times, with Turks valuing physical abilities, agility, and strength. This article explores the historical and cultural significance of sports in Turkish society, focusing specifically on boxing. It highlights the historical significance of sports as a means of physical and mental preparation for war, while also acknowledging the contemporary achievements and aspirations of Turkish boxing in the international arena. The article begins by explaining the connection between sports and warfare in Turkish culture. The nomadic lifestyle of Turks, which required them to be constantly wandering and on the verge of danger, led them to prioritize physical strength and combat skills. This emphasis on sports as a means of survival and preparation for war can be traced back to the pre-Islamic era, as evident in ancient epics and inscriptions. As an example, one of the great writers of the 16th century, Sudi's book "Hediyet-ul Irfan Fimahr-ul Gulistan" includes boxing. Sudi referred to the "punch shooters" game in his work and stated that some of the students who came to Samarkand to receive training after learning how the game was played while he was in Damascus were masters of boxing demonstrations. In Divanu Lugati't-Turk, the oldest known Turkish dictionary, written by Mahmud of Kashgar between 1072-1074 in Baghdad, it is reported that boxing can be observed in Turkish history in this period, based on terms similar to boxing. Furthermore, the body shapes of legendary figures like Oguz Kagan, depicted with images of powerful animals, reflect the importance placed on muscle strength in Turkish culture. Throughout different Turkish states, including Hun, Gokturk, Seljuk, and Ottoman, various sports branches such as hunting, archery, wrestling, horse riding, and sword handling emerged and developed. These sports evolved from practical war preparation to become inseparable parts of Turkish daily life. Sports were not only valued for their physical benefits but also played a role in children's upbringing, the selection of Khans and Sultans, and even wedding ceremonies and traditions. The paper then goes into the historical evolution of boxing in modern Turkiye. While boxing has roots in ancient Turkish civilizations, its modern form was introduced by Monsieur Goury, a French Literature Teacher, during the late Ottoman Empire. Boxing gained popularity during the occupation of Istanbul, as competitions between foreign soldiers took place. The interest in boxing continued to increase after the War of Independence, leading to the establishment of the first boxing clubs and the organization of competitions in the early 20th century. The establishment of the Turkish Boxing Federation in 1923 marked an important milestone for the sport. Turkish boxers began participating in national and international competitions and achieved success in the Olympic Games, including a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was the first Olympic gold medal in Turkish boxing history. The article concludes by acknowledging the progress made in Turkish boxing and highlighting the ongoing efforts to popularize the sport, train successful athletes, and increase the number of licensed active participants. While Turkish boxing has a rich history, there is still room for further development and modernization. However, the achievements in recent years and the commitment of the Turkish Boxing Federation point towards a promising future for the sport in Turkiye.

Courtesans in Military Uniforms: Martial Spectacles by Cross-Dressing Courtesans of Ŭiju in the Late Chosŏn Period

Abstract This article explores the martial spectacles that the courtesans of Ŭiju, a town on the border of Chosŏn and Qing, offered to envoys and government officials of Chosŏn in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Courtesans were deployed in the border towns by the Chosŏn government in order to provide entertainment honoring the envoys. Their performances, however, do not appear to be strictly aligned with their official obligation to glorify royal authority, as they developed into a repertoire of martial spectacles including a sword dance, horseback riding, a pseudomilitary inspection, and a group hunt. The article examines how the courtesans of Ŭiju cultivated their own performance repertoire by appropriating the heterogeneous resources of the local culture, which were often beyond the grasp of the dominant Confucian values, the hierarchies of gender and social status, and the dehumanizing power of state slavery.

Prevalence of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, Tracheal Mucus and Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy in Competitive Draft Pulling Horses.

Respiratory disease is common in the horse population and is often be associated with poor performance in equine athletes. Despite their outstanding strength and aerobic capacity, little regard is given to draft horses and the respiratory disorders they may encounter when performing athletic activity. For this reason, the objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), tracheal mucus (TM) and recurrent laryngeal hemiplegia (RLH) in a population of competitive draft pulling horses, and (2) to determine if there was an association between horse weight, height, age, amount pulled, or competition placing with EIPH, TM or RLH in draft pullers. Results of this study identified EIPH in 26% of the study population, RLH in 32% and TM in 82% of participating horses; however, no risk factors were identified for the development of these problems in draft pulling horses.

Effects of wearable therapies on jump performance in sport horses.

Failure to properly prepare the equine athlete for exercise and support post-exercise recovery is a contributing factor to physical breakdown and lameness. Equine physiotherapy was not introduced until the early twentieth century and has since evolved to allow for wearable therapies such as therapeutic boots to be accessible to a broad spectrum of equestrians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ceramic boots, boots combining vibration and cryotherapy, and boots containing tourmaline on the performance of sport horses during jumping as well as to examine changes in vital signs in response to treatment. Eight healthy horses received the 3 therapeutic boot treatments or a control (no boot) in a Latin square experiment for a period of 5 days each. Horses performed approximately 10 min of exercise through a jump chute for the 5 consecutive days and jump performance parameters were recorded during each exercise session. Therapeutics were applied in the morning prior to exercise per the manufacturer's recommendation and were removed only for exercise. In a Bayesian network analysis, changes in vital signs (heart rate, respiration, and temperature) were driven by individual animal, rather than boot treatment. Jump performance was influenced by boot treatment, physiological measurements, and individual animal. Therapeutic boots were associated with changes in conditional probabilities of numerous performance outcomes. This study indicates the use of wearable therapies may result in improved performance outcomes of sport horses in jumping exercises.

Urgensi Pendidikan Praktik Berkuda Dan Memanah Dalam Meningkatkan Kecerdasan Emosional Santri Di PPTQ Qoryatul Qur’an

Furusiyah or equestrian sport is the ability to ride a horse and control it wherever the horse moves or runs. In general, the meaning is the science of dexterity in playing weapons on a horse or without a horse. This knowledge is considered a natural classic sport and has been very popular with Arab people since ancient times until now. Because horse riding was very important to the Arabs they taught their children from an early age to practice horseback riding and archery. In the history of the hadith that Rasulullah Shallallahu Alaihi Wasallam once raced a horse and competed with other horses. He once rode a black mare and then spurred her with both legs to say that this horse was running very fast. The person who first taught the science of furusia was Nabiyullah Ismail Alaihissalam at that time horses were wild like other wild animals. Then Allah tamed the horse and it could be ridden by Prophet Ismail Alaihissalam. Because of the diversity of horses, said Syarif Ahmad Al Hamawi in his book Annafhatul Miskiyah fii Sinaatil Furusiyah, he said, "Know that the problems with horses are very diverse that no one can know or go beyond their ends and limits because every horse of any kind has its own characteristics and gaps. each other's defects." Horse riding and archery extracurriculars at PPTQ Qoryatul Quran are one of the extras that can improve the quality of the students' memorization. Horse riding can also improve body health and physical strength. Horse riding and archery can also increase the focus of students in memorizing and learning general subjects in class.

Horse gait analysis using wearable inertial sensors and machine learning

Equestrian sports require horses to possess physical and mental attributes such as agility, strength, balance, and gymnastic skills. Performance analysis is critical in evaluating a horse’s performance, which involves assessing athleticism, gait quality, jumping ability, and general health. Assessing the kinematics of horses is crucial for selecting, training, and managing sports horses. Understanding a horse’s gait pattern and detecting Ground Reaction Forces (GRF) help diagnose lameness in the horse. Traditional gait analysis methods are performed visually, which can be biased due to subjectivity and human error. Optical motion capture (OMC) technology for equine gait analysis is expensive and ideal for indoor use. Wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer a cost-effective alternative for analyzing kinematic parameters. This study has devised novel wearable sensor devices for horses and riders to measure forces acting on the legs and body of the horse and the orientation of their legs during field performance. Ground Reaction Forces (GRF) were measured using 100g accelerometer data from each leg to assist owners and riders in analyzing the magnitude of forces and detecting any anomalies. Machine-learning models were developed to classify horse movements, such as jumps, stands, gallops, and trots, using features extracted from the data collected by wearable sensor devices. These models were compared to identify the most effective model for accurately classifying horse movements. This approach provides a valuable tool for recognizing patterns and trends in the data, enabling owners and riders to make informed decisions about training and management strategies.

The genetic composition of the Traditional Irish Horse – towards the development of a DNA-ancestry test for the preservation of traditionally bred Irish Sport Horses

The traditionally bred Irish Sport Horse, known as the Traditional Irish Horse, is an important cultural asset to horse genetic resources in Ireland. We tested the hypothesis that the Irish Sport Horse, which was originally developed from the Irish Hunter, may contain a genetic background distinct from European horse populations that would be valuable to preserve. Using genome-wide single nucleotide (SNP) data, the results show that Traditional Irish Horses (with confirmed pedigrees) have lower levels of European ancestry components than other Irish Sport Horses. These results indicate that measurement of the levels of European ancestry components in the Irish Sport Horse may assist in the preservation of traditional Irish lineages.

Early Iranian Riders and Cavarly

The expansion of the Iranian peoples in first centuries of the 1st millennium BCE coincides with the creation and further development of the cavalry warfare in western Eurasia, as well as with the creation of the pastoral nomadic life-style which dominated the Great Steppe for millennia to come. The mounted warriors replaced the light chariots which dominated the Bronze Age battlefields which required perfect horsemanship however application of the recurved, double reflex. composite bow for mounted combat seemed another important factor in development of the cavalry force. Mounted archery which doubled the fire power of the mobile troops, earlier dominated by the chariots triggered the evolution of the various forms of cavalry, both as a response to a threat of the horse archers and independent forces used by the sedentary societies. Iranian contribution in spreading (and most likely invention) of the new technology is undeniable. Although horse riding and recurved composite bows were known earlier they could not overcome the power of the chariot force separately. Only the combination of the factors allowed fielding large and efficient cavalry troops as was practiced by the Scythians and became the success factor for the Achaemenid Empire. Survival of the chariots as late as the Seleucid times was possible because of changing their tactical function from the highly mobile shooting platform to heavy, at least partially, armored terror and shock weapon.

Visually Assessing Equine Quality of Movement: A Survey to Identify Key Movements and Patient-Specific Measures.

Outcome measures are essential for monitoring treatment efficacy. The lack of measures for quality of movement in equine physiotherapy and rehabilitation impairs evidence-based practice. To develop a new field-based outcome measure, it is necessary to determine movements most frequently observed during assessment of rehabilitation and performance management cases. An online survey of 81 equine sports medicine veterinarians and equine allied-health clinicians was conducted. The key movements identified included walk and trot on both firm and soft surfaces in a straight line and on a small circle, plus step back, hind leg cross-over, transitions and lunging at walk, trot and canter. The main barriers to observing some movements are access to suitable surfaces and the training level of the horse and handler. Subjective visual assessment of live or videoed horses was the most common method used to track progress of complex movements. The majority (82%) of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that a modified Patient-Specific Functional Scale would be useful for measuring complex movements. Comments from all professions show a desire to have outcome measures relevant to their needs. This survey identified 24 in-hand movements, which can be used to form the foundation of a simple field-based outcome measure for quality of movement.

Equestrianism's social license to operate: assumptions, reality and the future

Horse sports and equestrian activities are high risk to the horses and people undertaking them. Societal views on using animals for human entertainment are changing and there is increased debate on how animal welfare is safeguarded. Traditional management systems that reduce opportunities for expression of normal behaviour and high levels of disease and injury in horses interacting with humans have increased public scrutiny on the use of horses by humans, resulting in equestrianism's social license to operate being questioned. A social license to operate is a virtual license from society to engage in an activity – without this, the future of equestrianism is under threat. This review explores what constitutes a social license to operate and considers how stakeholders in the equestrian sector could work together to generate an effective social license to operate to ensure horses have a good life in all aspects of their relationship with humans.