International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse

Russell MacKechnie-Guire; Hilary Clayton; Anna Byström; David Marlin; Kevin Haussler; Selma Latif; Nadine Blum; Sarah S. Le Jeune; Mary Wanless; Agneta Egenvall

doi:10.3390/ani15131956

International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse

Russell MacKechnie-Guire, Hilary Clayton, Anna Byström, David Marlin, Kevin Haussler, Selma Latif, Nadine Blum, Sarah S. Le Jeune, Mary Wanless, Agneta Egenvall

Equine Department

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Abstract

Laterality or sidedness in the horse is commonly addressed as part of the horse’s training. An international online survey regarding horse and rider sidedness and asymmetry was conducted, with 2304 useable responses. Confidence intervals (95 were used to evaluate if some response options were chosen more frequently. Discounting answers of ‘not sure’ or ‘not applicable’, the right fore hoof was more often perceived to be more upright (22 than the left (15, and the left shoulder was more prominent (24 more often than the right (17, whilst most respondents reported no difference. Both lunging and bending was perceived to be most difficult to the right (482 than to the left (332, and more horses fell in on the right circle (lunging 40 riding 38 than on the left (313. Horses commonly tracked their hindquarters to the left in walk, trot and left canter. Correspondence analysis showed that responses indicating horse side bias and relative symmetry, respectively, were associated across several questions, suggesting consistent individual patterns. While the mechanisms underpinning sidedness remain unclear, this study provides insights into horse owners’ perceptions of laterality and related matters.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1956
Number of pages	1
Journal	Animals
Volume	15
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131956
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2025

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title = "International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse",

abstract = "Laterality or sidedness in the horse is commonly addressed as part of the horse{\textquoteright}s training. An international online survey regarding horse and rider sidedness and asymmetry was conducted, with 2304 useable responses. Confidence intervals (95 were used to evaluate if some response options were chosen more frequently. Discounting answers of {\textquoteleft}not sure{\textquoteright} or {\textquoteleft}not applicable{\textquoteright}, the right fore hoof was more often perceived to be more upright (22 than the left (15, and the left shoulder was more prominent (24 more often than the right (17, whilst most respondents reported no difference. Both lunging and bending was perceived to be most difficult to the right (482 than to the left (332, and more horses fell in on the right circle (lunging 40 riding 38 than on the left (313. Horses commonly tracked their hindquarters to the left in walk, trot and left canter. Correspondence analysis showed that responses indicating horse side bias and relative symmetry, respectively, were associated across several questions, suggesting consistent individual patterns. While the mechanisms underpinning sidedness remain unclear, this study provides insights into horse owners{\textquoteright} perceptions of laterality and related matters.",

author = "Russell MacKechnie-Guire and Hilary Clayton and Anna Bystr{\"o}m and David Marlin and Kevin Haussler and Selma Latif and Nadine Blum and \{Le Jeune\}, \{Sarah S.\} and Mary Wanless and Agneta Egenvall",

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doi = "10.3390/ani15131956",

language = "English",

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T1 - International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse

AU - MacKechnie-Guire, Russell

AU - Clayton, Hilary

AU - Byström, Anna

AU - Marlin, David

AU - Haussler, Kevin

AU - Latif, Selma

AU - Blum, Nadine

AU - Le Jeune, Sarah S.

AU - Wanless, Mary

AU - Egenvall, Agneta

PY - 2025/7/1

Y1 - 2025/7/1

N2 - Laterality or sidedness in the horse is commonly addressed as part of the horse’s training. An international online survey regarding horse and rider sidedness and asymmetry was conducted, with 2304 useable responses. Confidence intervals (95 were used to evaluate if some response options were chosen more frequently. Discounting answers of ‘not sure’ or ‘not applicable’, the right fore hoof was more often perceived to be more upright (22 than the left (15, and the left shoulder was more prominent (24 more often than the right (17, whilst most respondents reported no difference. Both lunging and bending was perceived to be most difficult to the right (482 than to the left (332, and more horses fell in on the right circle (lunging 40 riding 38 than on the left (313. Horses commonly tracked their hindquarters to the left in walk, trot and left canter. Correspondence analysis showed that responses indicating horse side bias and relative symmetry, respectively, were associated across several questions, suggesting consistent individual patterns. While the mechanisms underpinning sidedness remain unclear, this study provides insights into horse owners’ perceptions of laterality and related matters.

AB - Laterality or sidedness in the horse is commonly addressed as part of the horse’s training. An international online survey regarding horse and rider sidedness and asymmetry was conducted, with 2304 useable responses. Confidence intervals (95 were used to evaluate if some response options were chosen more frequently. Discounting answers of ‘not sure’ or ‘not applicable’, the right fore hoof was more often perceived to be more upright (22 than the left (15, and the left shoulder was more prominent (24 more often than the right (17, whilst most respondents reported no difference. Both lunging and bending was perceived to be most difficult to the right (482 than to the left (332, and more horses fell in on the right circle (lunging 40 riding 38 than on the left (313. Horses commonly tracked their hindquarters to the left in walk, trot and left canter. Correspondence analysis showed that responses indicating horse side bias and relative symmetry, respectively, were associated across several questions, suggesting consistent individual patterns. While the mechanisms underpinning sidedness remain unclear, this study provides insights into horse owners’ perceptions of laterality and related matters.

U2 - 10.3390/ani15131956

DO - 10.3390/ani15131956

M3 - Journal Article

SN - 2076-2615

VL - 15

SP - 1956

JO - Animals

JF - Animals

IS - 13

ER -

International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse

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