While showjumping might seem straightforward – the poles either fall or they don’t – not every part of the sport is as clear-cut. An example can be found beyond the performances in the arena, with the obligatory veterinary horse inspections as an essential yet subjective element of the competitions. Now, researchers are using science and technology to bring greater objectivity and precision to equestrian sport.

A team from Duke University and the University of Florida set out to make lameness assessments more consistent, and to see whether the way a horse moves freely might predict its level of performance. Using video from 194 trot-ups recorded over several years at three-day eventing competitions, they trained an AI program – DeepLabCut – to track 22 key points on each horse’s body – from leg joints to fetlocks – and calculate parameters such as stride length and fetlock angle. These measurements were then compared to the horses’ dressage scores during the same event. 

The research identified several correlations between gait measurements and performance, with stride length showing a particularly strong positive relationship. Although the study focused on dressage rather than jumping, its findings suggest that objective video analysis could revolutionize how we assess soundness, reducing reliance on subjective human judgement and minimizing bias. Beyond competition, this technology also holds promise for breeding programs by enabling a more scientific identification of desirable gait traits. 

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna have turned their attention to something every showjumper knows can make or break a round: Footing and grip. They introduced the Vienna Grip Tester (VGT), a portable device to measure how much rotational resistance or “grip” a horse’s hoof has on different surfaces. The team tested 20 combinations of hoof protection and ground surfaces. 

According to this study, surface type matters most. Frozen or fiber-mixed footing offered the strongest grip; dry sand was the most slippery, making it risky for high speed-movement. Hoof protection also matters: Glue-on shoes provided better grip on almost every surface than both bare hooves and traditional iron shoes, likely because their flexible material molds better to uneven ground. 

Most importantly, the VGT produced consistent, repeatable data, proving it could be a standard tool for objectively evaluating surface safety and performance. While the device has yet to be tested on live horses in motion, the study found it could contribute to injury prevention by supporting the design and fit of hoof protection as well as the optimization of equestrian arenas.

The researchers in Vienna were not alone in studying surfaces. At Virginia Tech, scientists have examined how different horseshoe materials – barefoot, aluminum, and steel – affect how a horse moves on various surfaces. Using hoof- and body-mounted motion sensors (IMUs), they measured stride patterns on both soft footing like arena sand and hard surfaces such as asphalt. 

Surprisingly, there were no major differences in stride length, symmetry, or timing. The key difference lay in the height of the hoof’s arc: Horses wearing heavier steel shoes lifted their hooves slightly higher at the start of the stride. Those with lighter aluminum shoes lifted higher later in the stride, but only on soft footing. The differences were small, but they reveal how shoe weight subtly shapes the “look” of movement, which might matter in competitions where movement aesthetics are judged. More importantly, this study confirmed that wearable sensors are powerful instruments for understanding equine motion in real-world settings.

Viewed together, these studies point toward a more evidence-based future for showjumping: AI movement analysis could make pre-competition soundness checks more objective and consistent. Grip testing could lead to standardized criteria for footing in arenas worldwide. Sensor-based gait analysis could help riders and farriers fine-tune movement and even performance. As such technologies become more accessible, guesswork is taken out of the performance and welfare equation, and the sport might be guided as much by data as by the trained eye.