The Role of Equestrian Professionals in Saddle Fit for Horses and Riders in the United Kingdom.

ABSTRACT: The horse owner and the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) are responsible for safeguarding horse welfare by ensuring the equipment being used is correctly fitted. The aim of this study was to investigate how saddle fit is assessed, managed, and acted upon by equestrian professionals. Participants (n = 483) completed an online questionnaire, which was split into three major sections: (1) participant demographics; (2) saddle fit for the horse; and (3) saddle fit for the rider. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, and univariable and multivariable analyses were performed (p < 0.05). Inductive content analysis identified themes from open-question responses. From the UK responses (n = 377), 184 saddle fitters, 77 therapists, and 116 coaches completed the survey. Compared to

SUBMITTER: MacKechnie-Guire R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11394139 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature