Do horses show more stress during riding, lunging or working on a treadmill? A Pilot to determine Possibilities and Threats using different exercise methods in future Hyperflexion Research.

Abstract

Hyperflexion of the horse's neck is a technique of working/training to provide a degree of longitudinal flexion of the mid-region of the neck that cannot be self-maintained by the horse for a prolonged time without welfare implications. The use of the 'hyperflexion' training method with dressage horses has caused a lot of controversy in the worlds of equine sports, animal welfare, veterinary medicine and politics. To answer the question if the technique is harmfull for the horse's welfare more research is claimed to be necessary but a representative way of testing behavioural stress in horses worked in hyperflexion has not yet been found. To obtain usefull data an exercise method is needed which will by itself give as little stress as possible to a horse but in which measurable and reproducible data can be obtained. In this pilot study six horses were observed during a standard exercise protocol using three different exercise techniques, namely riding, lunging and working on a treadmill. Behavioural signs of stress and discomfort were scored using a specially made equine ethogram. Results were that horses did show significantly more signs of discomfort and less signs of relaxation while working on the treadmill than during lunging or riding.