RESEARCH

I was delighted that my rug research was accepted by the British Society of Animal Science, and in April, I was able to present it at the BSAS 2025 Conference in Galway, Ireland. 

 

The research was an investigation into how wearing rugs affects stride length in horses, which was measured whilst they wore no rug, 1 rug and 2 rugs. The research found that stride length decreased as the number of rugs increased. 

 

Possibly most relevant to our industry and to horse owners, is that wearing 2 rugs over a period of 28 days further reduced stride length more than wearing just one rug. 

 

It’s unusual to layer turn out rugs, but not unheard of (some of the horses lived in partially outdoor loose housing, and I wanted to create consistency across all horses). Inevitably, the research has produced more questions, and hopefully others will develop the research further in the future. 

 

Research is never a solo project and I am grateful to the wonderful people who have supported this effort:

 

Nikki Routledge and Sally Charlton for their guidance during dissertation and presentation. Nicola Alexander for her time assessing and providing McTimoney Animal Chiropractic treatment to the study horses. McTimoney College of Chiropractic and McTimoney Animal Association for educating me and facilitating my progress. Ingestre Stables for allowing me to use their wonderful horses and facilities. Samantha Armano for leading the horses for 2 full days. Liege Manor for their continued support.  Cerian Screen for the impromptu conversation that led to the study.  Dan Spencer for maintaining my sanity throughout the project. Lisa Roberts for your driving force. 

 

The abstract is attached in the BSAS 2025 Conference Proceedings (Number 197 on p.464). See link below. 

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https://www.bsas.org.uk/assets/files/BSAS_2025_-_Proceedings_%2831.03.25%29_.pdf

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