Rider's eye movements could reveal the key to show jumping success

Equine scientists have collected evidence to prove how the miniscule eye movements of elite riders can determine their success in show jumping. In a world first, the team at Nottingham Trent University have been able to use state-of-the-art technology to compare the 'visual strategies' of riders of varying experience, providing the first detailed insight into the gaze behaviour of elite equestrian athletes.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Eye
• show
• jumping
• Tim
• Stockdale
• equine
• research
• horse
• Nottingham
• Trent
• University

[Sniffysmyboy]

I now know why my instructor spent hours upon hours 'developing my eye'

[greygloss]

thats really cool

[TCVfan1]

Looking up and into the distance is a really good exercise for green riders who tend to look down at the jump by moving their head and neck. Doing that rounds their back which throws their center of balance off and can cause them to tilt forward over a jump. Not good! lol

But after some repetition it eventually graduates to what we see here in the video, using the eyes independently while maintaining proper positioning of the head and thus body.

[Bearslittlewhisper]

Interesting. My instructor always tells me to keep my eyes up and at the end of the arena. I would like to see this done with other riders, as well; I'd love to see the results.

[SassyMustang1980]

LOL thats what I do.. I keep my focus on the rail the whole time.. then once I'm landing I look for the next.. but that is how I was trained to jump in Germany.

[Lucchina75]

Interesting!