Rosa Verwijs, senior lecturer in equine behaviour at Writtle University Collegeifferent speaks about how unwanted behaviours can be caused by a lack of forage, such as stress, anxiety, aggression and resource-guarding. These might be displayed, such as abnormal oral behaviours, door-kicking, difficulty in handling and poor performance under saddle.
Horses used in equine-assisted interventions appear to become more sensitive to touch than riding school or mixed-use horses.
A basic tenet when studying animal emotions is that negative emotions will trigger an escape or avoidance response, whereas positive emotions will trigger an approach. By gaging whether a horse will approach or avoid a person or a situation, for example, we can infer something about how it experiences that person or that situation. One…
Traditionally, leadership in horses has been understood as a function of dominance, embodied in the myth of the “lead mare”: the highest-ranking individual in a group will be the one leading it. Thanks to a growing body of scientific evidence, we now know that this is incorrect.
Show jumping is an equestrian sport that requires horses and riders to navigate a course of obstacles, including jumps and fences, within a set time frame. It’s a sport that requires precision, skill, and an understanding of the physics and biomechanics involved in horse and rider movement. This article explores the science behind show jumping…
Many dogs really love what they do and show great enthusiasm for it. They can barely contain themselves before running an agility course or doing scent work. Do horses love their jobs? A study conducted in Germany with 18 warmblood horses attempted to answer this question.
Can the age-old interactions between people and their horses teach us something about building robots designed to improve our lives? Researchers with the University of Florida say yes.
Gaited horses have the ability to trot in diagonal pairs, lateral pairs and also in a four-beat trot where each leg works independently. This ability is known as quadridextrous, exactly the same way humans can be ambidextrous. There is a vast difference between the gaited and the non-gaited horse, but why are some gaited while…
Horses have been central to human transportation and agriculture for centuries. These symbols of power and speed require hoof care and new shoes every four to six weeks to stay on the job. But why?
A project by Horse Sport Ireland and British Equestrian will focus on environmental responsibility through actions and leadership practices. The two bodies are collaborating with a leading sustainability agency for a five-month project over three phases including research, mapping exercise, analysis, recommendations and a stakeholder engagement plan.