b'EDUCATING EQUESTRIANSthan 8 weeks of age showed a remark- The research team conducted an onlineriders should be eliminated immediately able increase in biting during the fourthsurvey of U.K. riders on spur use. Withif a horse has blood on the body (which consecutive day of training. nearly 900 respondents providing morecould happen from spur use).If we want to establish a positivethan 600 complete responses, the scien- Spurs are a common part of equestri-horse-human relationship from the start,tists were able to detect trends related toan sport, with a long history dating back we need to be considering the cognitiverider profiles, spur use, spur types, andto the Roman periods with bronze and abilities and the limitations when work- horse injuries. iron spurs, Lewis said. In the 15th and ing with young horses and handle themOverall, 47% of participants rode with16th century many were made of gold, appropriately, Loy told The Horse. Studyspurs, Lewis said. About half the respon- and they became associated with status. foals younger than 8 weeks old clearlydents were adults under age 30, 7% wereBut today, we really need to be looking showed signs of stress, as seen througholder than 58, and only 5% were men. at spurs in a different light, starting with the biting, by having several days ofThe scientists noted 19 riding disci- this look into current habits and beliefs.training in a row. plines, including Fdration Equestre In- Future studies could focus on reporting Study foals older than 8 weeks of ageternationale (FEI) events, non-FEI events,of nonbleeding abrasions at competi-did not bite more, even on the fourthand leisure riding. Non-FEI competitivetions and the efficacy of girths designed consecutive day of training, Loy added. Itdisciplines, such as mounted games orto protect horses skin from spur-related seemed to be a phenomenon of youngerhunting, were associated with a 1.48injuries, Lewis said.foals in this small study population, shetimes greater likelihood of spur use than said. FEI disciplines such as show jumping,Footing Surfaces and Limb-LoadingWe recommend planning a day offdressage, and reining, Lewis said. As the equine industry examines how within the first four days of trainingTheir survey found that men represent- ground surface quality affects safety young foals in order to decrease potentialed a nearly threefold greater likelihoodboth in the horse-racing and sport-horse stress-related behaviors, said Randle. of spur use than women, said Lewis. Fur- worlds, researchers are digging deeper thermore, competitors riding in non-FEIinto footing science.Survey: Men, Non-FEI Competitorsdisciplines were about 1.5 times moreNumerous variables affect the interac-More Likely to Ride With Spurs likely to use spurs than FEI-disciplinetion between the hoof and the ground Spurs have long been a part of eques- riders and leisure riders combined, Lewissurface, and any of these variables could trian tradition in a variety of disciplines.said. contribute to an increased risk of injury Animal welfare groups, however, areThe scientists found that longer shanksin horses, said Alexis Szpakowski, a expressing increasing concern over spurwere more likely to cause skin abrasions,recent bachelor of science graduate from misuse and horse injury. This ongoinghair loss, and bleeding, said Lewis. Rotat- the University of Guelph.conversation is why a group of U.K.- ing (rowel) spurs were 1.5 times more like- Those variables include not only foot-based researchers recently opened aly to cause these issues than fixed spurs. ing qualities but also the horses weight, preliminary investigation into who wearsThe team said the incidence of abra- the direction hes going (straight or on a spurs and how they affect horses. sions and bleeding was probably under- curve), the direction of turn, the lead hes Victoria Lewis, who is working towardreported, because riders might not haveon, and multiple other factors, reported her doctorate degree at Hartpury Univer- wanted to admit it or might not haveSzpakowski and her university colleague sity, in England, presented the work lednoticed it. Even so, 82% of respondentsDanielle Halucha, a master of science by her masters student, Chloe Lemon.agreed with the FEI Blood Rulethatcandidate, who performed and presented two studies. In each study, the scientists used ac-British researcherscelerometers and strain gauges attached recently found that mento the front hooves of working horses. Sz-were nearly three timespakowski compared measurements of 10 more likely to use spurshorses ridden at a trot by the same rider than women. in two conditions: a soft sand outdoor arena and a hard sand indoor arena. She recruited horses of varying breeds and weights, ranging from 356 kilograms (783 pounds) to 673 kilograms (1,480 pounds). Meanwhile, Halucha looked at 10 Thor-oughbreds (2- and 3-year-olds and one 10-year-old) galloping a lap on a dirt track.When a hoof hits the ground, it doesnt just touch and go, the research-ers explained. Its initial impact causes ISTOCK.COMthe hoof to brake and experience internal vibrations that can extend up the limb. TheHorse.com|The HorseFebruary 202037ISES_WrapUp.indd 37 1/3/20 10:18 AM'