A Danish study considered the impact of rider weight gain on horses that are ridden. The study used 20 horse-and-rider combinations to evaluate the effect of increase weight on equine behavior, cortisol, heart rate and gait symmetry in a standard dressage test.
Pounds were added by placing weights in a vest the rider wore. The maximum rider-to-horse ratios were 15 to 23 percent. Increasing the weight by 15 percent and 25 percent did not cause significant alterations in heart rate, gait symmetry or behaviors. It also did not cause any horses to toss their heads or swish their tails.
Read more at Horse Canada.
Downloaded sessions from the International Society for Equitation Science here.
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