Dressage-News

A study of the behavior of sport horses at shows begun a year ago at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, Germany–the world’s premier horse show–is being extended to this year’s event scheduled for the beginning of July.

As part of Aachen Scientist Circle, an alliance of eight volunteer scientists and horse experts from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland is looking into how show horses feel during their stay at the event compared to their stables at home. The aim is to find ways to make the stay of the horses more pleasant. Last year, four international show horses were monitored round-the-clock using artificial intelligence-supported camera technology and measuring faecal cortisol level to determine stress levels.

“The observation has led to the positive conclusion that although the horses spend more time in the stable during the show in Aachen compared to when at home, they were kept occupied and exercised a lot,” explained Prof. Winter, Academic Dean Equine Management at the Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Science.

Since the scientists of the CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle feel that the topic is very important the examinations are being expanded at the coming shows.

A PhD student, Leonie Krüger, is among those responsible for evaluating the data collected so far. The cortisol samples taken during the show in 2023 comprised of samples from four days at the home yard, during the transportation to Aachen, while training and competing on-site, during their return transport and then the next three days at home.

“Cortisol is produced during physical and psychological stress,” Leonie explained, “which is why the level increased on the competition days. That is totally logical. The curve of the rider would probably be similar. The further cortisol levels that were taken while the horses were stabled in Aachen were pretty low.”

These initial results showed “the transportation and the training in Aachen apparently didn’t have a great effect in terms of the stress level. And we were able to determine that once home the horses returned to the pre-competition level again very soon after the show.”

However, they said, “we now have an initial evaluation, but we can’t come to any deductions or general conclusions based on four horses.”

A much higher number of horses, at least 12, will take part in the Aachen 2024 survey. In addition to camera monitoring, there will be direct observation of the animals and air measured by sensors.

The longer term goal is to monitor 30 to 40 horses over three years and to possibly serve as a role model for other horse shows.