Does Carrying a Rider Change Motor and Sensory Laterality in Horses?
Authors: Schwarz Sophie, Marr Isabell, Farmer Kate, Graf Katja, Stefanski Volker, Krueger Konstanze
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Research into equine laterality has expanded considerably, yet the influence of ridden work on motor and sensory preferences remains largely unexplored despite the prevalence of riding in equine management. Schwarz and colleagues tested 23 horses across three experimental conditions—forelimb preference over a pole (motor laterality) and approach behaviour toward both unfamiliar people and novel objects (sensory laterality)—comparing responses with and without a minimally-cueing rider on a loose rein. A rider presence significantly strengthened motor laterality expression (*p* = 0.01), suggesting that additional weight and balance demands during ridden work may enhance limb preference consistency, whilst sensory laterality remained unaffected by the rider (*p* = 0.8), indicating that passive riding does not heighten defensive or avoidant responses. For practitioners, these findings suggest that asymmetrical forelimb loading under saddle may represent a functional adaptation rather than a stress-induced response, though the mechanisms underlying this motor strengthening and implications for long-term musculoskeletal development warrant further investigation in larger cohorts and across varying ridden disciplines.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Passive riding with minimal aids does not negatively impact a horse's behavioural laterality or apparent stress response, suggesting ridden work can be conducted without concern for adverse mental effects when rider interference is minimized
- •Understanding that riders strengthen motor laterality may inform training approaches to help horses develop more balanced movement patterns
- •Consider that a horse's existing laterality traits are stable under ridden conditions, allowing consistent assessment of individual preferences regardless of riding context
Key Findings
- •Carrying a rider increased the strength of motor laterality in horses (p = 0.01)
- •Carrying a rider did not affect sensory laterality in horses (p = 0.8)
- •A passive rider does not appear to adversely affect horse stress levels or mental state
- •Motor laterality was assessed via forelimb preference over a pole; sensory laterality via perceptual responses to unfamiliar persons and novel objects