Show jumping is currently the most popular equestrian sport in the world and also in Slovenia. Show jumping can seriously jeopardize horses’ physical and mental state and consequently negatively affect their welfare. In this thesis, we describe average life of horses, used for show jumping competitions and the injuries they most often encounter. Horses compete in show jumping between four and twenty years of age. The most common physical injuries due to show jumping are tendinitis, damage of suspensory ligament, meniscus, knee, patella fracture, osteoarthritis and arthritis of the hock. Show jumping horses encounter also stereotypes such as cribbing, weaving, wood chewing, self-mutilation, circling in the box, walking up and down the fence, shaking with the head, kicking in the wall and pawing the ground and tongue rolling. These stereotypes may be caused by stress, frustration, premature weaning, number of trainings, feeding, accommodation, a new environment and isolation. Interviewing former and current owner, we became acquainted with three horses that competed between six and eight years in show jumping. Currently the hoses are staying at the ranch Kaja and Grom. Each of them carries physical (swayed back) or psychological consequences (cribbing, aggression) that may be caused by competitions. Swayed back is mitigated by training the back muscles, swallowing the air during cribbing is prevented by the nylon band located on the neck. Aggression has been largely limited by proper handling.
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