Stress response and interaction with the horse of male and female riders in equestrian show jumping

Transcription

1 Stress response and interaction with the horse of male and female riders in equestrian show jumping Natascha Ille, Jörg Aurich, Mareike von Lewinski, Regina Erber, Manuela Wulf, Rupert Palme, Christine Aurich Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien

2 Introduction riding theories over centuries developed for men equestrian sports nowadays dominated by women (in Germany 79% of the riders are female) women and men participate in the same competitions 2

3 About the study Experiment 1 stress response in male and female riders and their horses during a show jumping course Experiment 2 pressure under the saddle of male and female riders 3

4 About the study Experiment 1 stress response in male and female riders and their horses during a show jumping course Experiment 2 pressure under the saddle of male and female riders Hypothesis less pronounced stress response in female riders horses are not affected by the sex of the rider male riders exert more pressure on the horses back 4

5 Experiment 1 Stress response of riders and horses riding students of the Brandenburg State Stud (n=16, 8 male and female each) 8 male horses of the Brandenburg State Stud riding school warm up phase standardised jumping course: 8 obstacles, cm high cool down 5

6 Experiment 1 Stress response of riders and horses cardiac beat to beat interval (RR) mobile recording system (Polar) continuously from 60 min before until 30 min after the jumping course heart rate heart rate variability SDRR (standard deviation of RR interval) RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR differences) 6

7 Experiment 1 Stress response of riders and horses cortisol concentration Collection of saliva (Salivette) 60, 30, 15 Min. before mounting the horse 0, 15, 30, 60 Min. after finishing the show jumping course analysis with a direct enzyme immunoassay 7

8 Results cortisol concentration Salivary cortisol (ng/ml) 20 (a) male rider female rider Salivary cortisol ng/ml 3 (b) with male rider with female rider p<0.05 over time Time (min) Time (min) Riders Horses Salivary cortisol concentration before and after jumping a course of obstacles in (a) male and female riders and (b) horses ridden by either a male or a female rider. Grey bars indicate time of warm up period and the jumping course 8

9 Results riders - heart rate Heart rate (beats/min) male rider female rider walk trot canter p<0.05 over time jumping Time (min) heart rate at rest, during a warm up phase (walk, trot and canter), during jumping a course of obstacles and at 15 and 30 min thereafter in male and female riders 9

10 Results riders - heart rate variability SDRR (ms) (a) p<0.05 over time male rider female rider RMSSD (ms) (b) p<0.05 over time male rider female rider walk trot canter jumping walk trot canter jumping Time (min) Time (min) HRV variables (a) SDRR and (b) RMSSD at rest, during a warm up phase (walk, trot and canter), during jumping a course of obstacles and at 15 and 30 min thereafter in male and female riders 10

11 Results horses - heart rate Heart rate (beats/min) with male rider with female rider walk trot canter p<0.05 over time jumping Time (min) heart rate at rest, during a warm up phase (walk, trot and canter), during jumping a course of obstacles and at 15 and 30 min thereafter in horses ridden by either a male or a female rider 11

12 Results horses - heart rate variability SDRR (ms) (a) with male rider with female rider RMSSD (ms) (b) with male rider with female rider walk trot canter p<0.05 over time jumping walk trot canter p<0.05 over time jumping Time (min) Time (min) HRV variables (a) SDRR and (b) RMSSD at rest, during a warm up phase (walk, trot and canter), during jumping a course of obstacles and at 15 and 30 min thereafter in horses ridden by either a male or a female rider 12

13 Experiment 2 Pressure under the saddle 10 riding students from the Brandenburg State Stud (5 male, 5 female) 1 male warmblood horse saddle pressure pad (medilogic) walk, trot, canter clockwise and counterclockwise 13

14 Results average saddle pressure male vs female p< male vs female p<0.01 Weight (N/cm 2 ) male female Weight (N/cm 2 ) male female Weight (N/cm 2 ) male female 0.0 cran mid caud Saddle sector 0.0 cran mid caud Saddle sector 0.0 cran mid caud Saddle sector walk trot canter Average pressure in the cranial, middle and caudal segment of the saddle of horses ridden by either a male ( ) or a female rider ( ), differences between male and female riders are indicated in the figures, differences between saddle sectors for walk, trot and canter p<

15 Conclusion no fundamental differences in the physical effort and stress response to the equestrian task between male and female riders stress response of the horse is similar with male and with female riders pressure pattern onto the horse did not differ in men and women Riding theories and principles developed largely for male riders can also be applied to female riders. 15

16 Contact Mag. med. vet. Natascha Ille Centre for Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna) Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna T natascha.ille@vetmeduni.ac.at 16