Alignment Between Gait Parameters and Judging of Canter Quality in International Vaulting Horses

Sophie Biau; Elena  Pycik; Robert de Bruin; Lise Charlotte Berg; Isabelle Burgaud

doi:10.64292/ijes.215

Authors

Sophie Biau IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation), Saumur Technical Platform, 49400 Saumur, France https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8383-6342
Elena Pycik IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation), Saumur Technical Platform, 49400 Saumur, France https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5083-4810
Robert de Bruin FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale) Vaulting, 1006 Lausanne, Suisse, Switzerland https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8577-8411
Lise Charlotte Berg Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Agrovej 8, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8752-2885
Isabelle Burgaud IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation), Saumur Technical Platform, 49400 Saumur, France https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5078-5290

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64292/ijes.215

Keywords:

Judge, score, kinematic, locomotion, circle, lunger

Abstract

Like most aesthetic sports, judging performance in equestrian vaulting is subjective. The complexity of judging often exceeds human cognitive capacities and can give rise to bias. The horse score makes up 25% of the total score, including the general quality of the canter and training level of the horse (A1 score), the execution of the performance and the horse's willingness and behavior (A2 score), and the quality of the lunging. The aim of this study was to compare the 6 scores of A1 (average of rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness, and collection) and the A2 score (vault-ability) from judges with 10 measured locomotor parameters. Thirty-three international-level vaulting horses were equipped with an inertial measurement unit (128 Hz) fixed to the sternum to calculate positions and movements in the sagittal and transverse planes and to calculate a quality index from a Fast Fourier Transform of the dorsoventral accelerometric signal. The head and neck were positioned with side reins, and the horses were filmed under competitive conditions at a left-lead canter from the judge's point of view, outside of the circle. Five international judges scored relaxation, connection, straightness, impulsion, rhythm, collection, and vault-ability from the videos in random order. The relationship between measurements and judges' scores was analyzed with Spearman's correlation (P < 0.05), and a Mann–Whitney U test (P < 0.05) was performed to distinguish locomotor parameters of horses judged correct and incorrect, distinguished by a k-means method. A horse that had at least one good score received good scores in all evaluated elements, each consistently associated with the same locomotor parameters. The group of correct canters, determined by the judges' scores using the k-means method, was characterized by good elevation (14 ± 1 vs. 13 ± 2 cm; P = 0.013), good propulsion (6.7 ± 1.4 vs. 5.7 ± 1.7 m/s²; P = 0.005), and good regularity of the three beats (0.016 ± 0.004 vs. 0.019 ± 0.004 m/s³; P = 0.018). Horses were slightly inclined to the inside of the circle and balanced on their hindlimbs. These measures can guide judge training and scoring system improvements.

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