horsetalk.co.nz

The FEI’s two-year extension of research into horse injuries in Endurance will also explore the potential of developing a similar approach for other disciplines.

The world governing body for horse sport yesterday announced that it had extended its injuries research agreement with Glasgow University for two more years.

This would allow further development of the Global Endurance Injuries Study. It will maximise the impact of the study across Endurance, with further agreement reached to explore the potential development of similar methodologies for other horse sports in the FEI’s stable.

horsetalk.co.nz

The sport of endurance and its issues were in the spotlight at the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, earlier this week, with panelists agreeing that speed and the non-compliance with mandatory rest periods were the key risk factors.

Panelists Dr Tim Parkin and Dr Euan Bennet from the University of Glasgow, who are conducting the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study, and Professor Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne, spoke on the sports risk factors and bone fatigue in the horse. John McEwan, Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee, was also a panelist.

Eventing Nation

With safety being the primary concern for anyone involved in the sport, research into the causes of falls on cross country is always being done in an effort to improve the safety element of eventing.

The Horse has published the findings of a study done by Heather Cameron-Whytock and Charlotte Brigden of Myerscough College in Preston, United Kingdom, which studied data surrounding cross country falls. A total of 2,002 horses and riders participating in one-day events at Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels were studied.

the Horse – The only variable researchers could link with the likelihood of falling was the horse and rider’s competitive rank going into cross-country.

When you’re in the lead going into the cross-country phase of a horse trial or three-day event, your goal is to ride hard and bring home the blue, right? If so, you might want to think about taking it just a tad easier: Recent study results—presented at the 2014 International Society for Equitation Science conference, held Aug. 6-9 in Bredsten, Denmark—suggest that heading into cross-country in a top-ranking position puts those horses and riders at a significantly higher risk of falling on course than lower-ranking riders. Which, in all senses of the term, can be a real downer.

Heather Cameron-Whytock, BSc (Hons), and Charlotte Brigden, MSc, BSc (Hons), both of Myerscough College in Preston, United Kingdom, reviewed 2,002 horse-and-rider teams participating in randomly selected one-day events (novice, intermediate, and advanced levels) in the U.K. The group investigated a long list of factors that might be related to an increased risk of horse falls in cross-country, including competition level, horse age, horse gender, rider gender, month, year, and event, trying to find associations with falls. But in the end, there was only one variable that seemed to have a connection with the likelihood of falling: the competitive rank of the horse and rider as they entered the cross-country phase.

horsetalk.co.nz

Horse and rider combinations in leading positions at the start of the cross country phase of one-day events are at greater risk of falls, British research shows.

Myerscough College researchers Heather Cameron-Whytock and Charlotte Brigden presented the findings of their research to delegates at the recent International Equitation Science Conference in Denmark.

The pair set about exploring risk factors for horse falls in the cross-country phase of one-day events, which is recognised as a high-risk sport and associated with higher levels of fatalities and serious injuries than sports such as motorsport and rugby.

They collected data from 2002 horse-and-rider combinations in the novice, intermediate and advanced levels of 37 randomly selected British Eventing horse trials competitions from 2003 to 2012.