"Cookie is just such a great beginner pony because he doesn’t bat an ear and stands perfectly still."
You may have heard this phrase in various forms during your riding school days. And Cookie really was a great pony for those learning to ride, as he didn’t move unless prompted and certainly never ran. However, recent research from a team at Sydney University suggests there may be a less positive reason for Cookie’s calm demeanor. Their findings indicate that a horse like Cookie might be confused by the many different riders on its back, making it difficult to get moving.
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Many have probably wondered whether a horse “suffers” from being ridden by many different riders. According to the research team, one of the reactions to frustration from multiple rider changes appears to be a tendency to stop or become difficult to get moving. In other words, horses can become "unresponsive" to cues because they experience frequent rider changes and choose not to react—they simply stop. That said, the study also shows that beginner riders, based on the horse’s behavior and stress signals, are not necessarily contributing to this development.
However, if stress signals are excluded from the equation, the study suggests that beginners, with their often unsteady hands, uncertain balance, and leg pressure, may influence the horse's delayed response pattern to the rider.
The team from Sydney University based their research on 1,819 horses, focusing on the horse’s acceleration and deceleration (i.e., how easily the horse can be stopped) and its general response to different riders.
The study reveals that horses with frequent rider changes are more likely to be unresponsive to both leg aids and light use of the whip, compared to horses ridden by fewer riders.
“This conclusion suggests that these horses may have been exposed to improper use of leg aids and the whip,” the researchers explain, adding:
This can lead to a vicious cycle, where riders increase the pressure on the horse when it doesn’t initially respond as desired—this can escalate and potentially become dangerous for both the horse and rider.
As the horse ages, the study also suggests that it becomes better at interpreting signals from the rider, making it more adept at accelerating, stopping, and generally responding. In essence, the horse improves throughout its riding career.
As young horses, mares generally respond better to rein aids than geldings, but this levels out as the horses age, the researchers explain.
Different horse breeds were also relevant in the study. The American breed, Standardbred, commonly used for trotting, was found to be harder to accelerate but easier to stop compared to crossbreeds. Heavier horse breeds, such as Iberian breeds, warmbloods, and quarter horses, were all easier to stop than crossbreeds. These heavier breeds were also better at responding to rein cues than crossbred horses.
The researchers also point out that Standardbreds, due to their training for harness work, do not learn leg signals early in their careers and therefore are not as experienced in responding to such cues.
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The University of Sydney: McKenzie, Kate Fenner, Michelle Hyde, Ashley Anzulewicz, Bibiana Burattini, Nicole Romness, Bethany Wilson, and Paul McGreevy.
Want to know more? Read the study here.