title: Movements of the horse's mouth in relation to horse-rider kinematic variables.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the behavioural response of horses to rein contact and the movement of the riders' hands through analysis of data from horses ridden at two different head and neck positions. It was hypothesised that the riders' hand movements and rein tension would generate behavioural responses from horses and that these responses would be more marked when horses were ridden 'on the bit' than when unrestrained. Data were collected from seven dressage horse/rider combinations at sitting trot on a high speed treadmill. Kinematics were recorded using a 12-camera, infrared-based opto-electronic system. Three horses wore a rein tension meter. Behavioural registrations were made from video. Behavioural responses included lip movement, mouth movement, open mouth, change in ear position, head tilt and tail movement. Mouth movements were associated with the suspension phase of the trot. Head and neck position was non-significant in the final models, while rein tension and the distance between the rider's hand and the horse's mouth were related to mouth movements. Interactions between horses and riders are complex and highly variable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: marie.eisersio@slu.se.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eisersiö
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Unit of Equine Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7046, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roepstorff
authors.affiliation: Equine Department, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Weishaupt
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egenvall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009055:Mouth / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis
keywords: Dressage; Equine; Rein tension; Rider hand movement