Snijders, R.A.H. (2015) Study on the relation between rein pressure and fluency of the passage-piaffe behavior in dressage. thesis, Sport Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Horse-rider interaction is an essential aspect in the equestrian sport. One way this interaction is mediated is by means of the reins. When a specific exercise is demanded, the rider changes the rein pressure, for instance when changing the horse’s gait pattern. In competition dressage the importance of the passage-piaffe transition is apparent from the GP scoring forms. The passage, the passage-piaffe transition, and the piaffe are scored individually, with the piaffe score multiplied by a coefficient of two, to give it more weight. As the passage-piaffe transition precedes the piaffe, the importance of the passage-piaffe transition is evident. Previous research in between-human coordination has shown a positive relation between level of expertise and coupling in movement pattern transitions. Moreover, previous research in horse riding has shown the influence of rein pressure on the horse’s gait pattern. Based on these studies, it was therefore hypothesized that a lower, nearing constant rein pressure, with less perturbations is related to a more fluent passage-piaffe transition. To examine the hypothesis measurements of the horse’s leg kinematics and the rider’s rein pressure were done. Overall, the results of the present study showed strong positive correlation between rein pressure and the relative phase of the lower front leg and the lower hind leg. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between the duration of the passage-piaffe transition and rein pressure. Moreover, when the horse-rider combination has a more efficient interaction, less time was needed to transit from the passage into the piaffe. These results support the hypothesis and indicate that the more experienced horse-rider combination is better attuned – they are nearing the state of “performing as one”. The rider needs a lower, and less frequent rein instruction to instruct the horse to perform a fluent passage-piaffe transition. Still, the observed association is not a causal relation, as more factors can influence the passage-piaffe transition; for example the mastering of the passage-piaffe itself and the fact that a horse is a prey animal.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Poel, dr. H.J. de |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 03 May 2022 10:21 |
| Last Modified: | 03 May 2022 10:21 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3189 |
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