International Equitation Science Symposium 2006

The 2nd International Equitation Science Symposium was held on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th September 2006 at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Milano, Italy. There were 15 peer-reviewed research papers and 11 posters covering the following topics:

[The full symposium papers can veiwed on the following web address: http://documenti.fondiz.it/65.pdf ]

•1.      Training from an earlier age

•2.      Ethological challenges for the working horse and the limitations of ethological solutions in training

•3.      An audit of the application of the principles of equitation science by qualified equestrian instructors in Australia

•4.      Training methods for modification of fear in horses

•5.      Reducing wastage in the trained horse: training principles that arise from learning theory

•6.      A preliminary investigation into verbal cue-colour association learning in horses

•7.      Horse Whisperers and Horse ‘Behaviourists': are we jeopardising our horses?

•8.      Does Punishment Work? Rider responses and behaviour problems in ridden horses

•9.      Assessment of the behaviour and haltering work time in young unhandled horses: influence of three different training methods

•10.  HorseConnexion: improving horse welfare through knowledge transfer to riders, riding teachers and horse owners

•11.  Do horses exhibit motor bias when their balance is tested? Visuomotor influences on jump stride kinematics in showjumping horses

•12.  Assessment of ethological methods as a diagnostic tool to determine early overtraining in horses

•13.  An approach to stress induced by rider in show jumper horses

•14.  Stronger fear reactions in Dressage versus Showjumping horses may be linked to genetics but not training

•15.  Behaviour of horses during habituation to a novel object

  POSTERS

Poster 1 Dancing with horse whisperers: What horse(wo)men want

Poster 2 Roll and Rise: A Sign of Comfort in Horses?

Poster 3 A preliminary 2-foal study on the use of Positive Reinforcement from birth

Poster 4 General and individual biomechanics/energetics of locomotion in performing quadrupeds

Poster 5 Responses of school horses to a flat lesson

Poster 6 Circulating endorphin levels of trained Standardbred racehorses after competitive and non-competitive races

Poster 7 EuroRide - an international education for riding instructors

Poster 8 A Pilot Study: Can owners predict their horses' behaviour?

Poster  9  Safety compliances in equestrian centres

Poster 10 Training, competition and transport in horses: influence on physiological and biochemical parameters.

Poster 11 The use of an experienced horse in breaking of an untrained subject: preliminary observations.