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In the sport of dressage, one or more judges score the combined performance of a horse and rider with an emphasis on the technical correctness of the movements performed. At the end of the test, a single score is awarded for the ‘general impression’, which considers the overall performance of the horse and rider as a team. This study explored measures that contribute to the general impression score in a group of 20 horse-rider combinations. Horses and riders were equipped with inertial measurement units (200 Hz) to represent angular motion of the horse’s back, and the motion of the rider’s pelvis and trunk. Each combination performed a standard dressage test that was recorded to video. Sections of the video were identified for straight line movements. The videos were analyzed by two or three judges. Four components were scored separately: gaits of the horse, rider posture, effectiveness of the aids, and harmony with the horse. The main contributor to the score for gaits was stride frequency (R=-0.252, p=0.015) with a slower frequency being preferred. Gait scores and all three rider scores were associated with dynamic symmetry of the trunk indicating that this measure was the most useful predictor of rider performance.

During turning, horses lean inwards to generate a centripetal force, but sport horses are trained to turn with a more vertical posture. The objective was to compare trunk roll angles in dressage horses performing true canter (TC) and counter canter (CC). Sixteen high-level dressage horses were ridden by their trainers in a 20×60 m arena with sand-fibre footing. Trunk roll angle was measured using an inertial measurement unit attached to mid-ventral girth. Data were analysed for 10 strides/horse on 20 and 10 m circles in TC and CC in each direction. Positive roll values indicated the trunk rolled down on the inside of the circle. Descriptive statistics were calculated and compared using a GLM and post hoc tests (P

Many factors influence the overall score for a dressage test, which makes it challenging and complex to establish key performance determinants. The aim was to identify an objective locomotory measure to quantify overall rider performance in dressage. The chosen variable should be both easy to collect and useful in a practical context. Twenty dressage horse/ rider combinations (Int1-GP) were equipped with inertial measurement units (IMU’s, 200 Hz) attached to the rider’s sacrum and thorax. Transverse dynamic trunk symmetry and pelvis symmetry (symmetry measures) and trunk-to-pelvis 3-dimensional coordination variability (within rider coordination measure) were collected from the IMU’s during straight line walk, trot and canter on left and right reins with ≥9 strides/condition. Sixteen United States Dressage Federation senior judges evaluated the movements of interest from video footage with 2-3 judges scoring each rider’s performance in the movements of interest and awarding collective scores to represent the overall impression of each rider’s performance. Stepwise linear regression was used to seek associations between objective measurements from the IMUs and subjective scores awarded by the judges. The variable dynamic trunk symmetry was the strongest predictor of collective scores, specifically the score for rider position (R=0.357, P=0.001). The rider’s dynamic pelvic symmetry was a strong predictor of the judged score for the walk (R=0.607, P=0.010), but no relationships were found between objective and judged scores for trot or canter. The overall impression of trunk posture may be influential in judges’ collective scores. Symmetrical pelvic motion appears to be a key factor in producing a high-quality walk.