Abstract: Many breeding organisations include a subjective scoring of rideability by a professional rider into their evaluation of sports horses, but the consistency and reliability of the scoring system is debateable. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) whether professional riders agree in their scoring of rideability, and (ii) whether rideability scores are affected by rein tension, horse conflict behaviour, heart rate, and salivary cortisol, and (iii) whether riders induce different levels of conflict behaviour and physiological responses in the horses. Ten professional, female riders each rode 10 dressage horses (level M German scale; n = 100 combinations) through a standardised dressage test (10 min warm-up followed by a 4-min test) and subsequently scored the horses for rideability on the official 1-10 scale (1 = poor to 10 = excellent) from the Danish Riding Federation. Rein tension, horse heart rate, saliva cortisol and conflict behaviour were measured for each rider-horse pair. The riders were inconsistent in their scoring of rideability to the individual horses, e.g. scores for one of the horses ranged from 1 to 8. There was a significant effect of rider (P = 0.003) and the frequency of conflict behaviour (undesired head movements: P < 0.001, breaking the gait: P = 0.013, and other evasive behaviour: P = 0.032) on rideability scores, i.e. the more conflict behaviour the lower the score. There was no significant effect of rein tension and the physiological measures on rideability scores. However, there was a significant effect of rider on rein tension, horses' heart rate and increases in saliva cortisol concentrations and a tendency for some types of conflict behaviour, suggesting that some riders induced more discomfort in the horses. Future studies could help shed light on which elements of riding style are particularly important for sports horse welfare. In conclusion, this study found a large variation in rideability scores assigned to ten sports horses by ten professional riders. Rideability scores were dependent on the level of horse conflict behaviour, but not rein tension and physiological measures. Further studies are needed to improve the objectivity, consistency and reliability of rideability assessment of sports horses.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the Hungarian Sporthorse population based on eventing competition performance. The database contained the results of 792 horses and 449 riders between 1996 and 2006. The eventing results were gathered from Hungary and other European countries. Blom transformed ranks were used to measure competition performance. Sporthorses competed in fourteen categories but only the easiest category (category ’A’) contained enough result to handle it as a single category (model I.). The other 13 categories were handled together based on professional reasons in a different model (model II.). In model III., all records were analysed together and the results were weighted according to the difficulty of the category. The competition results were classified into eight groups, each group had a weight (0-7) and it was multiplied by a constant 3, and the result of this formula was added to the original Blom score. The linear mixed models included fixed effects for age, sex, breeder, owner, location, year and random effects for animal and rider. The model II. contained one more fix effect for difficulty of the competition level. The distribution of number of horses and number of starts by sex were heterogeneous (P<0.05). For category ’A’ mares and geldings appeared in higher proportion, despite this fact ratio of stallions is greater in higher competition levels. Considering the goodness of fit in each model, model fitting to the weighted Blom scores was the best R2=0.82. In model III. every fix effects (age, sex, breeder, owner, location, year) were significant. Random effects for animal and rider were not significant, but form professional point of view they need to be included in the model. The variance components estimated for the weighted Blom scores were the highest also (0.52 rider effect, 0.09 animal effect), the animal x rider interaction effect was zero. The variance proportion of rider effect exceeded the variance proportion of animal effect in each model. Breeding values of eventing performance were predicted using model III. The reliability of the estimated breeding values was acceptable for only a few stallions. To improve the reliability of breeding values, more progenies should be used in eventing competitions (as a kind of progeny test) and more competition records needed (as a kind of own performance test).

Abstract: Results from performance tests and competitions of young horses are used by major European warmblood horse breeding associations for genetic evaluations. The aim of this review was to compare genetic parameters for various tests of young horses to assess their efficiency in selection for dressage and show-jumping. Improved understanding of genetic information across countries is also necessary, as foreign trade with semen is rapidly increasing. The review is based on inquiries to European breed associations and on (17) scientific publications available, which have analysed genetic parameters of young horse data and/or relationships between young and mature horse results in sport. Despite differences in testing methods of young horses, results for major horse populations were in good agreement. Specially designed young horse performance tests, including stallion tests, showed high heritabilities and high genetic correlations with later competition results. We recommend that test results are encouraged to be used across countries for genetic evaluation of imported stallions and semen. Short station tests are generally preferred when selecting stallions for both dressage and jumping traits, whereas competition data may be used when selecting for only one discipline. We also recommend that extensive field testing of young horses is encouraged and should include both genders.