Publication detail

Stress Responses in Dressage Horses: Insights from FEI Noseband Measurements Across National Competition Levels

FIALOVÁ, S. KUŘITKOVÁ, D. SOBOTKOVÁ, E.

English title

Stress Responses in Dressage Horses: Insights from FEI Noseband Measurements Across National Competition Levels

Type

WoS Article

Language

en

Original abstract

This study examined visible signs of stress in dressage horses competing at national levels. Using the FEI Noseband Measuring Device, more than 200 horse–rider pairs were evaluated for noseband tightness, type of bridle, and easily observable behaviors such as mouth opening, tail swishing, or changes in head–neck position. Although almost all horses had correctly fitted nosebands, the frequency and type of stress-related behaviors differed across competition levels. Horses in lower-level tests showed a wide range of behaviors, while horses in higher-level classes displayed fewer types of behaviors but showed them more often. As the difficulty of the tests increased, stress indicators also increased. Importantly, at the higher levels, the judges’ scores no longer reflected how much stress behavior the horses showed during their performance.

Keywords in English

dressage; welfare; FEI noseband measuring device (FNMD); equine stress behavior; competition level; performance stress

Released

2026-02-06

Publisher

MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Journal

Animals

Volume

16

Number

3

Pages count

14

BIBTEX


@article{BUT201027,
  author="Simona {Fialová} and  {} and  {}",
  title="Stress Responses in Dressage Horses: Insights from FEI Noseband Measurements Across National Competition Levels",
  journal="Animals",
  year="2026",
  volume="16",
  number="3",
  pages="14",
  doi="10.3390/ani16030518",
  issn="2076-2615",
  url="https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16030518"
}