Version 1
: Received: 9 April 2024 / Approved: 10 April 2024 / Online: 11 April 2024 (12:52:17 CEST)
How to cite:
Rump-Dierig, I.; Jensen, K.C.; Liedtke, A.M.; Gehlen, H. Self-Report Measurement by the Rider to Monitor Their Horses’ Adaptive Response to Training and Competition in Eventing. Preprints2024, 2024040746. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.0746.v1
Rump-Dierig, I.; Jensen, K.C.; Liedtke, A.M.; Gehlen, H. Self-Report Measurement by the Rider to Monitor Their Horses’ Adaptive Response to Training and Competition in Eventing. Preprints 2024, 2024040746. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.0746.v1
Rump-Dierig, I.; Jensen, K.C.; Liedtke, A.M.; Gehlen, H. Self-Report Measurement by the Rider to Monitor Their Horses’ Adaptive Response to Training and Competition in Eventing. Preprints2024, 2024040746. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.0746.v1
APA Style
Rump-Dierig, I., Jensen, K.C., Liedtke, A.M., & Gehlen, H. (2024). Self-Report Measurement by the Rider to Monitor Their Horses’ Adaptive Response to Training and Competition in Eventing. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.0746.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Rump-Dierig, I., Anna M. Liedtke and Heidrun Gehlen. 2024 "Self-Report Measurement by the Rider to Monitor Their Horses’ Adaptive Response to Training and Competition in Eventing" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.0746.v1
Abstract
Self-report measurement is frequently used in human sports to assess training adaptations [1, 2]. This is a technique novel to the equestrian sport. The aim of this study was to describe how elite event riders of Germany evaluate their own fitness as well as that of their horses for the entire duration of an eventing season. Additionally, correlations with possible influencing external factors such as type of training or duration of grazing were also investigated. Short online questionnaires were used to allow eight riders to describe the training of their horses. Five criteria (general performance, ability to concentrate, general state of mind, general muscular condition and emotional wellbeing) were used to assess both, their horse's, as well as their own wellbeing. A 1-10 rating scale was used to score each criterion resulting in an average of 38 points out of 50 (maximum wellbeing) for horse (Std. dev. 0.55) and rider (Std. dev. 0.65) respectively. A total of 120 questionnaires were analysed. A correlation could be demonstrated (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.5) between rider and horse score, whereby it only became a linear correlation above 30 points. In addition, the horse score correlates positively with its success at competitions. While the horses were rated similarly throughout the season, the riders’ perceived welfare was higher in the middle of the season compared with the beginning and end of the season. Regularly turned-out horses resulted in higher horse scores (Linear mixed model, p=0,04, n=120). It can be concluded that the self-report measurement of fatigue and wellbeing can be a useful tool for trainers and riders to better determine the horse’s fatigue and recovery. It should be noted that external factors influence both, rider and horse assessment.
Keywords
self-report measurement; fatigue; training management; performance diagnostics
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
