A description on how horses’ jumping technique changes over time following “the Flyinge Model” in free jumping

Abstract: A study was made on how the description of a horses’ jumping technique changed over time, when they were trained in free jumping in accordance with The Flyinge Model. The problem was that no study had been done to prove that The Flyinge Model had effect on horses’ jumping technique. The Flyinge Equestrian Center of Sweden offers education to young horses which one of the elements is free jumping. Free jumping is when the horse jumps freely thought a combination without a rider to display their jumping technique. Six two and half-year-old Swedish Warmblood horses without experience in jumping were trained in free jumping at six separate occasions during a period of six weeks at the Flyinge Equestrian Center of Sweden. Horses jumping technique was evaluated with two different methods; with the Swedish linear protocol, where the horses jumping technique was described by three judges from a film recording of each jump element, and by measuring the distance from obstacles to take off- each landing point with a measuring stick. Filming commenced three times with two-week intervals. In each case of filming horses jumped the free jumping combination two times followed straight after each other, and that the distance of the take off- and landing point was measured. The judge described the jumping technique from traits 37 to 50 in the three-year old test Swedish linear protocol. On the second filming occasion, which was week 4, pole aids were placed in the free jumping combination to see if they had any effect on the horses’ description. All data was subjected to analysis of variance, GLM procedure in the Statistical Analysis Systems package 9.4, SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA that calculated the significant differences between the take off/landing points in jump one and two within the three weeks of documentation. The results in the first evaluation method showed significant differences in the horses’ traits, description which changed towards as follows: take off: direction towards upwards, take off: direction towards upwards, scope towards much, elasticity towards elastic; care towards too careful, distance estimation towards secure, balance towards balanced, approach to assignment towards focused, behavior towards relaxed. The results in the second evaluation method showed significant differences in the horses’ take off in the first jump between weeks 2 to 4 and 2 to 6. The horses took off further from the obstacle on the first jump in weeks 4 and 6 compared to week 2. The landing point on the second jump showed significance between weeks 2 to 4. The horses landed closer to the obstacle in week 4 compared to week 2. On the other hand, the horses showed the no significant differences with regard to the take off of the second jump. The conclusion is that some of the descriptions in the horses’ jumping technique changed throughout the training period, as did some of the take off and landing points. It is hard to prove that the The Flyinge Model changed the horses jumping technique and/or take off and/or landing point. This due to that it did not have a control group and that there were only six horses participating in the study.