What is it about?
Our findings indicate that increased rein tension is linked to horses opening their mouths. Notably, three horses that exhibited mouth bruising after a drive displayed a more rushed walking style. This suggests that trainers should consider the horse's arousal level during training to promote better welfare and performance
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Why is it important?
Our findings revealed that rein tensions in harness racing horses were high. It is essential for trainers to consider the horses' behavior and arousal levels during training to prevent mouth injuries and ensure a positive experience for the horses.
Perspectives
One of the horses opened it's mouth over 300 times during 16 minute drive. It was eyeopening to see in slow motion videos how horses behave and what do they do during driving and how do they express themselves.
DVM PhD Kati Tuomola
University of Helsinki
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Is rein tension associated with horse behaviour and mouth injuries in harness racing trotters? – Pilot study, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, August 2024, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106356.
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