The purpose of this study was to gather knowledge about the functioning of the rein tension meter and test it for future studies of match and mismatch between Rider and horse. We looked specifically into the possibilities to use a rein-tension meter to determine the quality of cooperation between horse and Rider. We examined whether a Rider shows a specific tension pattern and also if certain patterns could be recognised for a specific horse. During the study, a manual with pictures and text was written to support the practical use of the meter. The manual describes in a simple way the first steps in the installation and use of the meter.

REFERATAtt en ridlärare själv ska rida är en allmän åsikt som man ofta stöter på. Ridlärarens egna ridkunskaper och färdigheter uppfattas vara av stor betydelse. Men hur ser det ut i Sverige, Rider ridläraren?Det finns idag (2011) 1177 examinerade ridlärare med ?level?, enligt Svenska Ridsportförbundet, i Sverige, som är utbildade för att svara för ridutbildningen på ridskolorna. Till ridlärarens uppgift att ansvara för undervisningen av ridskolans elever så ingår det att vara kompetent och kunnig inom sitt ämnesområde, ridning.Det primära syftet med den här studien är att kartlägga i vilken omfattning yrkesverksamma ridlärare Rider i Sverige.

Den här studien använder Agency-teorin och Stewardship-teorin för att undersöka hur motiverande ett Resultatandelssystem (RS) är för de anställda på en mindre svensk bank. Mer specifikt så undersöks hur påtagliga så kallade Free Rider-problem är och vilka bakomliggande orsaker som påverkar vikten av sådana problem. Detta bygger på en rent kvalitativ undersökning baserat på intervjuer med anställda på Leksand Sparbank. Resultaten visar att förekomsten av Free Rider-problem inte är så vanlig som Agency-teorin antyder och att detta beror främst på att monetära belöningar inte är den primära motivatorn på banken. Resultaten visar också att RSet inte motiverar på det sätt som det är tänkt, RSet har dock en del andra positiva egenskaper..

SUMMARYThe first and most basic skill a Rider needs to learn is how to sit correctly in the saddle. This decides whether or not the Rider will be able to follow the horse?s movements and use her riding aids in an efficient way. This correct seat is based on a straight line between the axis of the hip and heel. The seat must rest against the saddle with equal weight on both buttocks and the inside of the thighs.

Background: The most common reason for veterinary care in horses is lameness. Lameness in riding horses is often difficult to evaluate and in many cases may require riding to come to a diagnosis. Evaluation of lameness has proven to be very subjective and depends on the examiner. There is a need to evaluate ridden horses in an objective way.

One way of signalling commands to the horse during riding is through applying tension on the reins to create bit pressure in the horse?s mouth (Terada et al., 2006; Clayton et al., 2011). The skilfulness of the Rider in using the hands when applying bit pressure has consequences both for the horse?s performance and welfare (Manfredi et al., 2010). At the trot there are large vertical deviations of the horse?s body which the Rider must adjust and adapt to (Terada et al., 2006) and an unsteady hand due to inability to follow the horse?s movement can be a source of discomfort and conflict behaviour in the horse (Heleski et al., 2009).

Dressage schooling is not a subject that rests on science, it is a matter of dependable experience. So far there hasn?t been so much research about it, but more and more is done. Especially the interaction between Rider and horse is a nearly uninvestigated field. Riding skills is much about having the right position, and having the horses head and neck in different positions, but there are no research done that support or deny that this old ?knowledge? is for the best for the horse. This study was performed to evaluate if the head and neck position of the horse, and the velocity, has any influence on the position of the Rider.

According to ?Fotförbundet" (2012), Overpronation occurs frequently (80 %) in the Western World and furthermore overpronation of calcaneus influences the position of the pelvic and thorax (Fotförbundet, 2012; Behnke, 2008). The aim of this study is to investigate whether or not it is possible to connect overpronation of calcaneus to the problem in the Rider?s seat as observed by the instructors of Strömsholm. The study will also investigate if the Riders seat problems as noticed by the riding instructors are comparable with the problems found by the analyst during testing. One purpose with the study is to raise the instructors and Riders awareness that anatomical deviations in the Rider might influence the Rider?s position in the saddle. The questions of the study are: - Is it possible to see seat problems in Riders with overpronation of calcaneus? - If it is possible to see more seat problems in Riders with overpronation of calcaneus, do the instructors in the study considers the seat problems be similar with each other? - If there are seat problems in the study, is it the same according to the instructors and the analyst in human biomechanics? The hypothesis of the study is that overpronation of calcaneus has an effect of the Rider?s position in the saddle. The study is conducted as a blind study where the test subjects have been filmed (from knees down) as they walked barefooted and later while riding.

Equestrian sports and the interest in horses have existed for hundreds of years. It is only in the last thirty years the technological development have enabled closer studies of equine locomotion. The production of both soft- and hardware that manages to capture and analyze the fast movement of the horse has resulted in a large increase in locomotion research. Even though the interest in horses and the different disciplines they compete in is great, there is a small understanding in how the Rider influences the movement of the horse in different types of training. There are several studies available where horses moving freely without the influence of a Rider have been studied. What happens with locomotion and ground reaction forces when a Rider and equipment are added is not well studied. The objective of this study was to investigate if there are any differences in the ground reaction forces between sitting and rising trot. The study contained seven horses. Six Grand Prix dressage horses and one dressage horse competing at intermediate level.

The aim of this study was to determine the basic movements of the Riders? pelvis and upper body when riding in trot seated. The study was preformed at a treadmill with seven high level dressage horses and their Riders. The movements of the horse and Rider were captured with a motion analysis system (ProReflex®) and also recorded on video. The horses were ridden in collected trot, 3.0 m/s.

The interest in horses and equestrian sport is constantly increasing, and so is the will in both Riders and trainers to learn more about the effect the Rider and its equipment have on the horse. The last twenty years, more and more studies have been performed were the horse and its kinematics have been in focus. The access to more advanced technology has made it possible to study areas, which earlier have been hard to reach. The knowledge about kinematics in the horse, and how Riders and their equipment interact with the horse?s movement, is also of great interest to veterinarians in equine practice.

The horse has been domesticated for several thousand years. It has gone from being used primarily for food and transportation, to become one of the most popular pets in Sweden. With over 150,000 practitioners, horseback riding is one of the biggest sports in Sweden and there is a variety of specializations to choose from. One orientation is western riding which is a broad sport with several disciplines where most originate in cattle work and other ranch tasks. Western riding is a growing sport in Sweden with an increasing number of practitioners and with many different organizations and associations, it is important that the correct knowledge of the equipment used is disseminated. Artificial aids are available in a variety of designs and the most common variants used by western Riders in Sweden is draw reins or some forms of martingale.

Syftet med denna studie var att kartlägga en grupp tonårskillars ridintresse samt att se hur detta intresse kan ha påverkat deras identitetsutveckling. Deltagare i studien var sex tonårskillar i åldrarna 17 till 19 år. Datainsamlingen skedde med hjälp av öppna, explorativa tematiserade intervjuer. Resultaten visade att det framförallt var två saker som var viktiga för killarna med deras ridintresse, dels att prestera genom tävlande och dels kontakten med hästen. Andra saker som också hade viss betydelse var det sociala umgänget med andra människor som Rider samt utövandet av en idrott.

During an endurance riding competition the onset of metabolic disorders leading up to elimination from the race are common. As many as 8,7 % of the horses participating in international endurance riding competitions are eliminated due to metabolic causes such as tachycardia, absence of borborygmi, hyperthermia and dehydration. To prevent the onset of metabolic disorders in the horse the Rider must be able to determine the physiological and physical status of his or her horse. This requires good knowledge in nutrition, physiology and performance training. The risk of developing metabolic problems is reduced through the right feeding management and training.

A large part of the interactions between horse and Rider during horseback riding takes place through the reins and the bit and devices for measuring the tension on the reins, rein tension meters, has fairly recently been developed. To safeguard the welfare of the ridden horse Riders need to be aware of the rein tension they apply and actively work to decrease it. Furthermore, there is a need to develop the study of rein tension through new techniques and refined analysis procedures. A good-quality rein tension meter should be small in size, sensitive, durable and as accurate for light rein tension as for strong forces. Rein tension meters used in research on horse and Rider interaction commonly depend on strain gauge technique for generating rein tension data.