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Is equitation science important to veterinarians?
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The Veterinary Journal The Veterinary Journal 174 (2007) 452–453 www.elsevier.com/locate/tvjl
Guest Editorial
Is equitation science important to veterinarians? Anything forced and misunderstood can never be beautiful. And to quote the words of Simon: If a dancer was forced to dance by whip and spikes, he would be no more beautiful than a horse trained under similar conditions. – Xenophon Horses are so forgiving. – Tom Dorrance Horses were domesticated by humans more than 4000 years ago and have played a pivotal role in the success of civilizations. The use of horses for war, hunting, transportation, draft, and sport provided our ancestors with a decisive competitive advantage (van Weeren, 2001). More than just useful, though, the horse has been a valued companion through the ages and, already in 1200 BC, Anatolian horses were reported to live in better quarters than their grooms (Jurmain, 1989). Thus, from early in our history, people have been concerned about equine welfare. In the second half of the twentieth century, equestrian sports became very popular and the standard of competition improved dramatically. Horses competing in international competitions today are expected to perform at a very high level and must be trained and managed in a manner that produces appropriate physical fitness and mental demeanour for the type of competition. Many horses fail to achieve their full athletic potential as a consequence of inappropriate methods of conditioning, training or management that lead to injury or an uncooperative attitude. Thus it is appropriate for trainers, veterinarians and researchers to question traditional wisdom and investigate new methods of training based on advances in the knowledge of equine physiology and psychology. Conventional training methods are being challenged by practitioners of ‘natural horsemanship’ in which training techniques are based on observations and interpretations of equine behaviour, and by proponents of behavioural science who advocate applying ethological solutions, habituation, classical or operant conditioning, or shaping programs (McGreevy and McLean, 2006). Concern for the horse’s state of mind has reached the sport governing bodies. For example, the Fe´de´ration Equestre Internationale (FEI) recently amended the international dressage rules to read ‘‘The objective of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete 1090-0233/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.11.001
through harmonious education’’ (Fe´de´ration Equestre Internationale, 2006). As explained in the excellent review paper entitled The Advent of Equitation Science (McGreevy, 2007) published in this issue of The Veterinary Journal, ‘‘many still question the welfare of the ridden horse since it is largely trained using negative reinforcement, has to respond to pressure-based signals, and does not work for positive rewards’’. But what training techniques are abusive, ineffective or painful, and inconsistent with a ‘‘happy horse’’? What activities or postures have a negative impact on the health, happiness and working life of equine athletes? Currently there are as many opinions on these issues as there are concerned riders, but methods of quantifying the mental health of the horse are lacking. Enter equitation science. Equitation science aims to use scientific method to study the interaction between trainer and horse. To be part of the solution, scientists interested in this field must be rigorous. Studies must be hypothesis driven and quantitative, and have their conclusions based only on the data presented, not on preconceived biases. As with all science today, multidisciplinary research teams including veterinarians, animal scientists, behavioural scientists, engineers, riders and trainers will be most successful. Techniques for quantitative kinematic and kinetic analyses of horse and trainer, including measurements of pressure applied to the horse’s body, are available (Clayton and Schamhardt, 2001), but valid and reliable measurements to assess the horse’s psychological state must still be identified. Since the subject of horse welfare generates a great deal of emotion in people, it is important to avoid anthropomorphism and over-interpretation of data. The availability of quantitative methods will allow scientists to definitively answer questions related to the role of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment in equine training, to measure rider interventions that may compromise horse welfare, and to identify stimuli that provoke negative responses or pain in horses. Application of this scientific knowledge to the interaction between trainer and horse will encourage the use of appropriate riding and training techniques, result in fewer injuries and
Guest Editorial / The Veterinary Journal 174 (2007) 452–453
behavioural problems in horses, and enhance longevity, enjoyment and safety for both rider and horse. Does a paper on equitation science belong in a veterinary journal? Veterinarians swear to use their scientific knowledge for the protection of animal health and relief of animal suffering. Veterinary journals assist in this mission by providing scientific information, usually related to diagnoses and treatment of animal diseases, but animal health and suffering are affected by factors other than disease. At one UK veterinary school, 3.5% of horses presented to the equine clinic during a 6-month period had no identifiable clinical problem, and were considered to be exhibiting learned problem behaviour that responded positively to behavioural training (Waran, 2005). Although this represented only a small percentage of the caseload, it signals the need for clinicians to be cognizant of the possibility of a behavioural aetiology in horses exhibiting signs that are typically associated with a response to pain. Knowledge of equitation science may help veterinarians play a more effective role in preventing injuries of horses and their trainers, and in recommending more effective methods of treating and retraining equine athletes when injuries do occur, thereby improving sport horse wellbeing. The challenge to equine veterinarians is that they become part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and equine professionals devoted to finding ways to train elite horses and riders that will produce top competitive performances, while minimizing injury and maximizing horse happiness.
453
Frederik J. Derksen Hilary M. Clayton Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1314, USA E-mail address: [email protected] (F.J. Derksen)
References Clayton, H.M., Schamhardt, H.C., 2001. Measurement techniques for gait analysis. In: Back, W., Clayton, H. (Eds.), Equine Locomotion. W.B. Saunders, London, England, pp. 55–76. Fe´de´ration Equestre Internationale, 2006. Rules for Dressage Events. http://www.horsesport.org/d/rules/rules.htm. Jurmain, S., 1989. The Servant. In: Once Upon a Horse: A History of Horses and How They Shaped Our History. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, New York, p. 29. McGreevy, P.D., 2007. The advent of equitation science. The Veterinary Journal 174, 492–500. McGreevy, P., McLean, A., 2006. Ethological challenges for the working horse and the limitations of ethological solutions in training. In: Abstracts of the 2nd International Equitation Science Symposium, Milano, Italy, p. 19. van Weeren, P.R., 2001. History of locomotor research. In: Back, W., Clayton, H. (Eds.), Equine Locomotion. W.B. Saunders, London, England, p. 3. Waran, A., 2005. Equestrianism and horse welfare: the need for an ‘equine-centred’ approach to training. In: Proceedings of the First International Equitation Science Symposium, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 67–74.
The Veterinary Journal The Veterinary Journal 174 (2007) 452–453 www.elsevier.com/locate/tvjl
Guest Editorial
Is equitation science important to veterinarians? Anything forced and misunderstood can never be beautiful. And to quote the words of Simon: If a dancer was forced to dance by whip and spikes, he would be no more beautiful than a horse trained under similar conditions. – Xenophon Horses are so forgiving. – Tom Dorrance Horses were domesticated by humans more than 4000 years ago and have played a pivotal role in the success of civilizations. The use of horses for war, hunting, transportation, draft, and sport provided our ancestors with a decisive competitive advantage (van Weeren, 2001). More than just useful, though, the horse has been a valued companion through the ages and, already in 1200 BC, Anatolian horses were reported to live in better quarters than their grooms (Jurmain, 1989). Thus, from early in our history, people have been concerned about equine welfare. In the second half of the twentieth century, equestrian sports became very popular and the standard of competition improved dramatically. Horses competing in international competitions today are expected to perform at a very high level and must be trained and managed in a manner that produces appropriate physical fitness and mental demeanour for the type of competition. Many horses fail to achieve their full athletic potential as a consequence of inappropriate methods of conditioning, training or management that lead to injury or an uncooperative attitude. Thus it is appropriate for trainers, veterinarians and researchers to question traditional wisdom and investigate new methods of training based on advances in the knowledge of equine physiology and psychology. Conventional training methods are being challenged by practitioners of ‘natural horsemanship’ in which training techniques are based on observations and interpretations of equine behaviour, and by proponents of behavioural science who advocate applying ethological solutions, habituation, classical or operant conditioning, or shaping programs (McGreevy and McLean, 2006). Concern for the horse’s state of mind has reached the sport governing bodies. For example, the Fe´de´ration Equestre Internationale (FEI) recently amended the international dressage rules to read ‘‘The objective of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete 1090-0233/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.11.001
through harmonious education’’ (Fe´de´ration Equestre Internationale, 2006). As explained in the excellent review paper entitled The Advent of Equitation Science (McGreevy, 2007) published in this issue of The Veterinary Journal, ‘‘many still question the welfare of the ridden horse since it is largely trained using negative reinforcement, has to respond to pressure-based signals, and does not work for positive rewards’’. But what training techniques are abusive, ineffective or painful, and inconsistent with a ‘‘happy horse’’? What activities or postures have a negative impact on the health, happiness and working life of equine athletes? Currently there are as many opinions on these issues as there are concerned riders, but methods of quantifying the mental health of the horse are lacking. Enter equitation science. Equitation science aims to use scientific method to study the interaction between trainer and horse. To be part of the solution, scientists interested in this field must be rigorous. Studies must be hypothesis driven and quantitative, and have their conclusions based only on the data presented, not on preconceived biases. As with all science today, multidisciplinary research teams including veterinarians, animal scientists, behavioural scientists, engineers, riders and trainers will be most successful. Techniques for quantitative kinematic and kinetic analyses of horse and trainer, including measurements of pressure applied to the horse’s body, are available (Clayton and Schamhardt, 2001), but valid and reliable measurements to assess the horse’s psychological state must still be identified. Since the subject of horse welfare generates a great deal of emotion in people, it is important to avoid anthropomorphism and over-interpretation of data. The availability of quantitative methods will allow scientists to definitively answer questions related to the role of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment in equine training, to measure rider interventions that may compromise horse welfare, and to identify stimuli that provoke negative responses or pain in horses. Application of this scientific knowledge to the interaction between trainer and horse will encourage the use of appropriate riding and training techniques, result in fewer injuries and
Guest Editorial / The Veterinary Journal 174 (2007) 452–453
behavioural problems in horses, and enhance longevity, enjoyment and safety for both rider and horse. Does a paper on equitation science belong in a veterinary journal? Veterinarians swear to use their scientific knowledge for the protection of animal health and relief of animal suffering. Veterinary journals assist in this mission by providing scientific information, usually related to diagnoses and treatment of animal diseases, but animal health and suffering are affected by factors other than disease. At one UK veterinary school, 3.5% of horses presented to the equine clinic during a 6-month period had no identifiable clinical problem, and were considered to be exhibiting learned problem behaviour that responded positively to behavioural training (Waran, 2005). Although this represented only a small percentage of the caseload, it signals the need for clinicians to be cognizant of the possibility of a behavioural aetiology in horses exhibiting signs that are typically associated with a response to pain. Knowledge of equitation science may help veterinarians play a more effective role in preventing injuries of horses and their trainers, and in recommending more effective methods of treating and retraining equine athletes when injuries do occur, thereby improving sport horse wellbeing. The challenge to equine veterinarians is that they become part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and equine professionals devoted to finding ways to train elite horses and riders that will produce top competitive performances, while minimizing injury and maximizing horse happiness.
453
Frederik J. Derksen Hilary M. Clayton Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1314, USA E-mail address: [email protected] (F.J. Derksen)
References Clayton, H.M., Schamhardt, H.C., 2001. Measurement techniques for gait analysis. In: Back, W., Clayton, H. (Eds.), Equine Locomotion. W.B. Saunders, London, England, pp. 55–76. Fe´de´ration Equestre Internationale, 2006. Rules for Dressage Events. http://www.horsesport.org/d/rules/rules.htm. Jurmain, S., 1989. The Servant. In: Once Upon a Horse: A History of Horses and How They Shaped Our History. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, New York, p. 29. McGreevy, P.D., 2007. The advent of equitation science. The Veterinary Journal 174, 492–500. McGreevy, P., McLean, A., 2006. Ethological challenges for the working horse and the limitations of ethological solutions in training. In: Abstracts of the 2nd International Equitation Science Symposium, Milano, Italy, p. 19. van Weeren, P.R., 2001. History of locomotor research. In: Back, W., Clayton, H. (Eds.), Equine Locomotion. W.B. Saunders, London, England, p. 3. Waran, A., 2005. Equestrianism and horse welfare: the need for an ‘equine-centred’ approach to training. In: Proceedings of the First International Equitation Science Symposium, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 67–74.