{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,15]],"date-time":"2026-03-15T05:14:37Z","timestamp":1773551677673,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]],"date-time":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756425600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of girth design and girth tension; six horses regularly ridden were used. Each horse underwent four experimental sessions in an unbalanced Latin-square design with two girth tensions (8 kg or 16 kg) and two girth designs (straight girth (S) or anatomical girth (A)). Pressure between the saddle and the horse was measured at 100 Hz with a pressure mat (0.5 sensels per cm2). Notably, 2D limb kinematics were determined from anatomical markers placed on the fore and hindlimbs. Video was collected at 240 fps. There was no significant effect of girth type, girth tension, or girth type*tension interaction for any of the measured variables, with the exception of carpal flexion, which was significantly greater for A8 (median: 103\u00b0, 25th\u201375th percentile: 100\u2013112\u00b0) than S8 (101\u00b0, 96\u2013106\u00b0; p = 0.043). There was no effect of girth type (A or S) on mean saddle pressure for either cranial or caudal regions (p &gt; 0.05), but caudal average pressure was significantly lower than cranial average pressure both at 8 and 16 kg tensions (p &lt; 0.05). For both mean and peak pressure, the ratio cranial: caudal was significantly higher with 16 kg tension (p &lt; 0.05), indicating that as the girth tension increases, the pressures shift towards the cranial aspect. In conclusion, neither girth tension nor girth type significantly influenced 2D limb kinematics, but higher tension has shifted the load towards the cranial area significantly, which could contribute to cranial thoracic back pain or injuries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15172540","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]],"date-time":"2025-08-29T12:25:57Z","timestamp":1756470357000},"page":"2540","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Effect of Girth Design and Girth Tension on Saddle-Horse Pressures and Forelimb Stride Kinematics in Rising Trot"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"David","family":"Marlin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Animalweb Ltd., The Granary, Hermitage Court, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone ME16 9NT, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Olivia","family":"Randell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Lordship Rd, Writtle, Chelmsford CM1 3RR, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emma","family":"Mayhew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Lordship Rd, Writtle, Chelmsford CM1 3RR, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0037-5286","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberta","family":"Blake","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Lordship Rd, Writtle, Chelmsford CM1 3RR, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"FEI (2025, June 20). 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Biomech."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2017.02.010","article-title":"Reducing Peak Pressures Under the Saddle Panel at the Level of the 10th to 13th Thoracic Vertebrae May Be Associated with Improved Gait Features, Even When Saddles Are Fitted to Published Guidelines","volume":"54","author":"Murray","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Equine Vet. Sci."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2016.08.006","article-title":"Effects of Large Saddle Panels on the Biomechanics of the Equine Back During Rising Trot: Preliminary Results","volume":"48","author":"Martin","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Equine Vet. Sci."}],"container-title":["Animals"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/15\/17\/2540\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:35:14Z","timestamp":1760034914000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/15\/17\/2540"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]]},"references-count":17,"journal-issue":{"issue":"17","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9]]}},"alternative-id":["ani15172540"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ani15172540","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2615"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2615","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]]}}}