@Enzo

Based on my understanding of your two posts (#7 and #10), it seems that no matter what the form of the saddle would be, a rider could perform his best in it just by practicing... So that negates the very basis of your study, which is to find the factors in the saddle which affects the performance of the rider.

I haven't gone through your IP proposal yet, but it seems we have to change your IP.

Here are some articles (vaguely related, I know) I found while doing a search via Google Scholar:
Please register to see links.
Please register to see links.
Please register to see links.

This one is particularly interesting: Please register to see links.

You can do a similar method used here: Please register to see links. (quote: "A high-speed (120 Hz) 3D video system for motion analysis was used to track 20 markers taped to the horse and the rider. The angle between the line connecting the rider's head to the rider's back and that between the rider's back to the horse's head was calculated. Angular velocity and angular acceleration were derived. The lengths of the resulting vectors (LV) in the phase space were computed. Riding harmony was defined in terms of the average deviation of LV in the phase space.")

Also: Please register to see links.

Finally, do a Google Scholar search yourself: Please register to see links.

I'm sure you'll find something which you can replicate to a certain extent (I especially like the Peham, et. al. article above).

@Marvin

You hit the bull's eye when you wrote:

Quote:I mean as long as a human is included in the setup, it wont be consistent...

So many students fail to see that properly.

admin Wrote:@Enzo

Based on my understanding of your two posts (#7 and #10), it seems that no matter what the form of the saddle would be, a rider could perform his best in it just by practicing... So that negates the very basis of your study, which is to find the factors in the saddle which affects the performance of the rider.

I haven't gone through your IP proposal yet, but it seems we have to change your IP.

Here are some articles (vaguely related, I know) I found while doing a search via Google Scholar:
Please register to see links.
Please register to see links.
Please register to see links.

This one is particularly interesting: Please register to see links.

You can do a similar method used here: Please register to see links. (quote: "A high-speed (120 Hz) 3D video system for motion analysis was used to track 20 markers taped to the horse and the rider. The angle between the line connecting the rider's head to the rider's back and that between the rider's back to the horse's head was calculated. Angular velocity and angular acceleration were derived. The lengths of the resulting vectors (LV) in the phase space were computed. Riding harmony was defined in terms of the average deviation of LV in the phase space.")

Also: Please register to see links.

Finally, do a Google Scholar search yourself: Please register to see links.

I'm sure you'll find something which you can replicate to a certain extent (I especially like the Peham, et. al. article above).

@Marvin

You hit the bull's eye when you wrote:

Quote:I mean as long as a human is included in the setup, it wont be consistent...

So many students fail to see that properly.

Well, it's not just what effects the saddle has on the performance of the rider and horse, but it's also a matter of convenience and comfort on both the horse's and the rider's part. A saddle that - even if one can perform well by practicing, doesn't eliminate the fact that the saddle can be improved to the point that the rider and horse don't have to deal with certain "blemishes" and flaws in the design that just get in the way; even if this can be overcome by "dealing with" or getting used to through long hard practice. It's like a swordsman being victorious in battle using a blunt sword, though through practice and a little "getting used to", the swordsman can still do his job but he just has to deal with certain flaws in his "tool".

From both experience, both from myself and other more experienced riders, the saddle used does aid in the handling of the horse, for dressage routines require for both the rider and horse to feel the contraction of the rider's legs - these aids determine the next action of the horse. With a saddle that's not good for dressage, it would be a problem for both rider and horse if these "aids" can't be transmitted well or with more accuracy if, for example, the saddle flap is built too dense and too wide, that it covers too much of the horse's sides for any aids to be given swiftly and directly.

This is yet another thing my IP aims to find out.

DINO_3y Wrote:Well, it's not just what effects the saddle has on the performance of the rider and horse, but it's also a matter of convenience and comfort on both the horse's and the rider's part.

How would you quantify the following?

* performance of the rider
* performance of the horse
* convenience and comfort of the rider
* convenience and comfort of the horse

Quote:the saddle used does aid in the handling of the horse, for dressage routines require for both the rider and horse to feel the contraction of the rider's legs

Of course, it should, but the question is, what values are you going to quantify, which values are you going to change (the independent variables) and what values are you going to measure to check if there is a change in them if the IV's are changed.