Evaluating Overall Performance in High-Level Dressage Horse-Rider Combinations by Comparing Measurements from Inertial Sensors with General Impression Scores Awarded by Judges

Sarah Jane Hobbs*, Filipe Manuel Serra Braganca, Marie Rhodin, Elin Hernlund, Mick Peterson, Hilary M Clayton

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In the sport of dressage, one or more judges score the combined performance of a horse and rider with an emphasis on the technical correctness of the movements performed. At the end of the test, a single score is awarded for the 'general impression', which considers the overall performance of the horse and rider as a team. This study explored original measures that contributed to the general impression score in a group of 20 horse-rider combinations. Horses and riders were equipped with inertial measurement units (200 Hz) to represent the angular motion of a horse's back and the motions of a rider's pelvis and trunk. Each combination performed a standard dressage test that was recorded to video. Sections of the video were identified for straight-line movements. The videos were analyzed by two or three judges. Four components were scored separately: gaits of the horse, rider posture, effectiveness of aids, and harmony with the horse. The main contributor to the score for gaits was stride frequency (R = -0.252, p = 0.015), with a slower frequency being preferred. Higher rider component scores were associated with more symmetrical transverse-plane trunk motion, indicating that this original measure is the most useful predictor of rider performance.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2496
Number of pages18
JournalAnimals
Volume13
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.

Keywords

  • equestrian sport
  • performance
  • posture
  • balance
  • rider
  • dressage

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