Horsetalk.co.nz
Abnormal behaviour during tacking‐up and mounting is common, study finds
Riders may look forward to an outing in the saddle, but their horses may not always feel the same way.
An investigation in Britain into horse behaviour during tacking-up and mounting delivered what the researchers described as disturbing results.
The study, reported in the journal
Equine Veterinary Education, centred on 193 sports and leisure horses recruited from 11 locations, with both amateur and professional riders.
The researchers designed a protocol for documenting behaviour during tacking-up and mounting. It comprised 64 abnormal behaviours for tacking-up, and 30 for mounting.
The protocol was tested in a small pilot study and underwent subsequent minor modifications.