On Cue Dressage

12/29/2023

12/29/2023

**2023 RESEARCH ROUND UP**

Below is a list of research publications and abstracts published this year - been an exciting year. As always, thank you to our research assistants, riders, horses, owners, funders and colleagues. We have several publications under review or nearing submission, with new and exciting projects starting in 2024 🤓

𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀-𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Clayton HM*, MacKechnie-Guire R, Hobbs SJ. Riders'. Animals (Basel). 2023;13(24). Open Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/24/3854

𝗦𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀. Murray R*, Fisher M, Fairfax V, MacKechnie-Guire R.. Animals. 2023;13(13). Open Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/13/2127

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗳 Horan K*, Price H, Day P, Mackechnie-Guire R, Pfau T., Artificial and Tarmac Surfaces. Animals (Basel). 2023;13(16). Open Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/16/2563

𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭 (S49) R. MacKechnie-Guire*, J. Williams, J. Nixon, M. Fisher, D. Fisher, V. Walker and H.M. Clayton. https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 (S50) H.M. Clayton*, J. Williams, J. Nixon, M. Fisher, D. Fisher, V. Walker and R. MacKechnie-Guire https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐍𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 (S50) V. Walker*, H. Clayton, J. Williams, J. Nixon, M. Fisher, D. Fisher and R. MacKechnie-Guire https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (S29) D. Deillon*, J. Williams, H.M. Clayton and R. MacKechnie-Guire https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 (S49) R. MacKechnie-Guire*, M. Fisher, D. Fisher, J. Beavis, K. Allely and T. Pfau. https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐏 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬? (S29) J.M. Williams*, M. Edmund, L. Cameron, D.M. Marlin and R. MacKechnie-Guire https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐏 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞? (S32) M. Edmund*, L. Cameron, R. MacKechnie-Guire, D.M. Marlin and J.M. Williams https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐜 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (S48) L. Clark*, E. Bradley, R. MacKechnie-Guire and J. Ling https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (S52) L. Clark*, E. Bradley, R. MacKechnie-Guire and J. Ling https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐉𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞-𝐣𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐲𝐚𝐝𝐬 (S53) K. Horan*, R. MacKechnie-Guire, H. Price, P. Day and T. Pfau https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭 (S48) A. Slobodova*, R. MacKechnie-Guire and T. Pfau https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/cep2023.s1?role=tab

*lead author

12/17/2023

Open to all! What a great education idea

Open to All! Dressage4Kids is pleased to offer the USDF Focus on the Collective Marks Remote Workshop with USEF 'S' Judge Margaret Freeman. This program is approved for L Graduate Continuing Education and focuses on what the judges are considering when scoring each of the Collective Marks. For more information, including how to register, go to: https://dressage4kids.org/programs/d4k-unmounted-programs/d4k-focus-on-the-collective-marks.html

08/04/2023

🤣

This is from Chat GPT. We asked it to explain dressage from a teenager’s viewpoint:

“Dude, like, let me tell you about dressage, the coolest thing in the horse world! 🐎 It's like a total dance-off between a rider and their horse, but without all the crazy moves and lights, you know? It's all about grace, harmony, and showing off your horse's mad skills!

So, in dressage, you gotta have this tight bond with your horse. You're not just chillin' on their back; you're like telepathically connected or something! You use these super subtle cues from your legs, hands, and seat to tell your horse what's up. And get this, the horse is all like, "Yeah, I got you, bro!" and starts doing these amazing moves.

Now, there are these things called dressage tests, which are like routines that you and your horse gotta nail. They're like those fancy dance routines you see on TikTok, but on horseback! 🕺 You gotta perform specific movements, like the walk, trot, canter, and some other rad stuff like side-passing and flying changes. It's all about finesse and precision, and you gotta make it look effortless.

But wait, there's more! Judges are watching you like hawks during your performance. They're like those judgmental people on social media, except they're all about horses and stuff. 😬 They give you scores for each move and how well you and your horse are vibing together. So, you better bring your A-game and impress them with your sick riding skills!

And you know what? Dressage isn't just about showing off; it's also about building trust and confidence between you and your horse. It's like having a best friend who's a majestic, four-legged creature! You gotta work together, communicate, and understand each other to nail those moves and get that harmony going.

Oh, and the gear! You gotta deck out your horse in fancy schmancy tack, like a blinged-out bridle and a sleek saddle. Your horse is basically going to be the trendiest animal on the block! And let's not forget about your outfit. You gotta wear those snazzy white breeches and a cool jacket, just like a boss equestrian.

But here's the thing, dressage isn't just for the pros. Anyone can get into it, and it's an awesome way to bond with your horse and feel like a total equestrian superstar. So, if you're into dancing, horseback riding, and looking like a total boss on your horse, then dressage is totally the thing for you! Get out there, show off those sweet moves, and let the world see what a boss equestrian you are! 🤘🏇”

07/20/2023

Carl Hester talks about how training made Nip Tuck a Dressage Medal winner:
“Everything that goes in a Grand Prix has helped make him a better horse. Once he learnt a canter pirouette, he started to take the weight back in canter, once he learnt to passage, the trot started to develop because before he had no lift, no nothing. It has just been a great lesson for me and I am delighted that I have been proved wrong, because it helps you in so many ways. It helps you as a trainer, because instead of saying to somebody, oh your horse is not good enough, now I say, well actually I tried this, I tried that, let’s see if we can develop something with your horse.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2019/03/carl-hester-talks-about-nip-tuck/

07/19/2023

07/19/2023

Virginia tech 2023 helmet ratings are out

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings - Football helmets have been tested to evaluate their ability to reduce brain injury risk.