British Dressage (BD) has launched pointers on most rider weight for 2023 as a part of its code of conduct for equine welfare.
It is advisable that, from January, the utmost load carried by any equid shouldn’t exceed 20% of its complete physique weight “based on a horse with a ‘good’ condition score”.
“British Dressage is committed to upholding the highest standards of welfare, health, and wellbeing for both horse and rider, and a central tenet of this is promoting a harmonious partnership,” the members’ handbook states.
“To achieve this, the rider should be the correct size for their horse and suitably mounted. The horse and rider partnership must be in balance, and the rider should not exert undue influence on or restrict the horse’s natural way of going. The rider should be proportionate to their horse, with the core stability, suppleness, and fitness necessary to achieve a harmonious way of going.”
It provides that when contemplating how a lot every equine ought to carry, its rider’s top and dimension needs to be taken into consideration, in addition to the age, kind, health, and physique situation rating of the horse, however the 20% is the overall information.
“It is the members’ responsibility to ensure that they respect these guidelines, in the interests of equine welfare,” the handbook states. “The goal of this steering is to make sure that a member’s manner of using is efficient and sympathetic to their horse, and never a measure to stop their participation.
“If any member feels that this may cause issues for their equine partnership, then it is recommended that they consult with their vet or coach for further expert advice. Additional training and education resources are also available on the BD website, including information on general health and fitness.”
BD chief government Jasom Brautigam instructed H&H the steering was launched in response to questions and issues raised by members and officers.
“In consultation with veterinary experts and World Horse Welfare, we wanted to provide some clarity around the acceptable ratio between horse and rider, but the focus is very much on equine welfare rather than rider weight,” he stated.
“It is about dimension and proportionality, to make sure that a horse is suitably mounted to realize a harmonious manner of going.
“There are many different factors that should be taken into consideration: the core stability, suppleness, and fitness of the rider, as well as the age, type, fitness, and body condition score of the horse. Ultimately, the horse and rider partnership must be in balance, and the rider should not exert undue influence on or restrict the horse’s natural way of going. This is essentially what dressage is all about.”
Mr Brautigam pressured that the intention is to advertise a manner of using that’s efficient and sympathetic, slightly than a measure taken to stop participation.
“We have a number of tools and resources available on our website relating to fitness, nutrition, mental health and physical wellbeing, and we are here to help and support our members achieve the best possible relationship with their equine partners,” he stated.
He added that BD is offering additional coaching for coaches and officers subsequent yr via its training programmes and persevering with skilled improvement technique, overlaying varied horse and rider welfare matters.
‘These modules will likely be made out there to all our stakeholder teams, with the intention of delivering persistently excessive requirements of equine and human welfare in our sport,” he stated.
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