Demands of Sport: Show Jumping

Take-off represents the jump phase where the horse leaves the ground, first with its front legs, then by a powerful thrust from the hindlimbs to clear the fence. The rider assumes the jumping position by closing the hip angle and leaning forward to balance their center of mass over the horse’s⁽⁵⁾. 

During the flight phase, the horse-rider combination is airborne, and the rider remains in the jumping position. As the rider approaches landing, they open the hip angle, move the lower leg forward, and extend the back to prepare for the impact of the horse’s landing⁽⁸⁾.

It is challenging to study the biomechanical and physiological components of riding as the repetitive and rotary motions of the horse cannot easily be mimicked in a research environment⁽⁹⁾. There is a lack of evidence on how a rider can interact with and influence a horse over the course of fences⁽¹⁰⁾. There is also very little evidence on what muscles a rider uses and in what order to synchronize with a horse while jumping successfully⁽⁵⁾.

Riders play a critical role in controlling the horse’s motion. The rider effect on the horse is behavioral and inertial. Behavioural in the sense that the rider, through training, teaches the horse to respond to cues or aids⁽¹¹⁾. For example, light pressure applied by the rider’s lower leg will usually instruct the horse to increase in pace or impulsion. Inertial in the sense that the rider’s mass distribution will affect changes in the horse’s motion. In jumping, one significant change is the change in angular momentum that the rider has on the horse-rider system over a fence⁽¹¹⁾.

However, the inertial effect of the rider on the horse during take-off and flight over the jump does not affect the horse’s rotation or angular momentum⁽¹¹⁾. This seems to suggest that the ability of the rider to control the horse between the fences and correctly time the jump take-off is more important than the rider’s position over the fence⁽¹¹⁾. 

There are clear differences between experienced and novice riders jumping a 1.2m vertical jump in terms of accelerations of body segments measured using inertial motion sensors⁽¹²⁾. Experienced riders have less total head acceleration during the take-off, flight, and landing than novice riders. When novice riders are on an experienced horse, they demonstrate less total body acceleration. Further, novice riders have higher peak arm and leg accelerations on landing from the jump, suggesting they cannot maintain their balance⁽¹²⁾.

This demonstrates that the training and experience of a horse can reduce kinematic demand on the rider and visa versa. Moreover, advanced riders can better stabilize the head due to better motor control, which would aid in stabilizing the vestibular system⁽¹²⁾.

The novice riders also consistently show the greatest technique breakdown on the jump landing as it is the point where they need to absorb the most force with their ankles, knees, hips, and spine⁽¹²⁾.  

Physiological Demands

Researchers in France conducted a well-designed study assessing oxygen consumption (VO₂), ventilation (VE), and heart rate (HR) in five recreational riders during dressage and jumping sessions. The VO₂ increased progressively during dressage, reaching 1.9 l/min during the canter, while the jumping session showed higher values, with a mean VO₂ of 2.4 l/min during the jumping course. Riders’ energy expenditure varied based on the horse during dressage, highlighting the impact of horse choice on energy demands (see table 1). Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of aerobic capacity in riding performance, suggesting regular riding practice and physical training to enhance competitive riders’ fitness⁽¹³⁾.  

Table 1: Rider’s effort during various gaits

              
Logically, as the horse’s pace increases, so does the intensity of the cardiovascular and muscular effort. Ridden trot and canter work can be categorized as moderate-intensity exercise, with jumping efforts requiring more cardiac exertion from the rider and deemed higher-intensity exercise⁽¹³⁾.

Show jumping training sessions typically last 30 – 45 minutes per horse, and competition rounds average one and a half minutes. This varies depending on the course designer. One event usually has several rounds before a winner is determined. Most riders will compete with an individual horse in one to two classes per day, usually over a show that lasts a few days.  Some riders ride up to four horses daily, competing in their respective categories. Even though research does not definitively demonstrate how a rider can jump fences astride an animal weighing up to 700 kg, there have been exciting research grounds in the last few years.

The demands of show jumping place considerable forces and physiological stressors on riders. A cornerstone of injury prevention is holistic conditioning targeting the physical and cognitive training modalities. Furthermore, following injury, clinicians must ensure that riders receive adequate rehabilitation to restore physiological and mental capacities to meet the demands of show jumping. Sports medicine clinicians must ensure that athletes receive excellent injury management as the high-risk nature of show jumping will place inadequately prepared athletes at risk for mild and severe injuries.

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