The Elusive “Feel”: Exploring the Quality of the Rider–Horse Relationship

This qualitative study explored how riders perceive and understand the relationship with their horse. Participants included ten elite female riders with a mean age of 40.6 years, five of whom competed in Eventing and five in Dressage with an average of 30.9 years’ competitive experience, and their chosen horses (mean age: 11.8 years). The average duration for the relationship between horse and rider was 6.8 years. Each rider–horse combination...