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Outdoor Horseback Riding and Its Effects on Muscle Strength, Balance, Sleep, and Movement

NCT ID: NCT07286864

Last Updated: 2025-12-31

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

64 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-30

Study Completion Date

2026-03-16

Brief Summary

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This study aims to investigate the effects of regular outdoor horseback riding on lower extremity muscle strength, core stabilization, balance, functional movement capacity, sleep quality, and overall well-being in healthy adults. Participants with at least 6 months of routine outdoor horseback riding will be compared to non-riders to evaluate differences in physical performance and functional capacity. The study will provide evidence on the potential health benefits of horseback riding.

Detailed Description

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This observational study will include two groups: a horseback riding group (n=32) and a non-riding control group (n=32). Participants in the riding group must have engaged in outdoor horseback riding at least once per week for a minimum of 6 months. The control group will consist of healthy individuals who do not participate in regular physical activity. At baseline, all participants will undergo the following assessments: Demographic information Lower extremity muscle strength using a digital dynamometer Core stabilization (plank test) Functional movement screening (FMS) Balance assessment (Y-Balance Test Lower Quarter, Modified Functional Reach Test) Sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) Overall health-related quality of life (SF-36) Anxiety levels (Beck Anxiety Inventory) All procedures will be performed under standardized conditions with instructions and demonstrations provided to participants. Muscle strength and functional tests will follow established protocols including repetitions, rest intervals, and safety precautions. Balance assessments will be performed barefoot, and reach distances will be normalized for leg length. Data will be analyzed to compare the physical and functional performance, balance, core stabilization, and sleep quality between horseback riders and non-riders. The results will provide insights into the effects of outdoor horseback riding on physical health and functional capacity in healthy adults.

Conditions

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Sports Physical Therapy Physical Functional Performance Horseback Riding

Keywords

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Outdoor horseback riding Sleep quality Balance Functional movement Core stabilization Lower extremity strength

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

OTHER

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Horseback Riders group

Horseback Riders:

Adults aged 18-65 who have been riding horses outdoors regularly (at least once per week) for a minimum of 6 months. Participants will undergo assessments of lower extremity muscle strength, core stabilization, balance, functional movement, and sleep quality. No experimental interventions are assigned; participants continue their usual riding activities.

No interventions assigned to this group

Healthy group (Non-riders / Control Group)

Adults aged 18-65 who do not ride horses.Participants will undergo assessments of lower extremity muscle strength, core stabilization, balance, functional movement, and sleep quality.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Age between 18 and 65 years. Regular outdoor horseback riding for at least 6 months (minimum once per week). Voluntary participation and signed informed consent. Healthy individuals without chronic musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or neurological diseases.

Cognitive ability to understand instructions and communicate.

Exclusion Criteria

Any orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or respiratory disease. Diagnosed sleep disorder, anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric conditions. Major surgery within the past 6 months. Pregnancy. Physical or cognitive conditions preventing completion of study protocols. Inability to comply with test procedures or cooperate during assessments.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Istinye University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Istinye University

Istanbul, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status RECRUITING

Istınye Unıversıtesı

Istanbul, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status RECRUITING

İstinye University

Istanbul, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

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Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

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Elif Suha ŞEMSİPAŞA

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +905313317540

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Goken, Vedat

Role: primary

vedat Goken Goken

Role: primary

References

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Yu CH, Hong CU, Kang SR, Kwon TK. Analysis of basal physical fitness and lumbar muscle function according to indoor horse riding exercise. Biomed Mater Eng. 2014;24(6):2395-405. doi: 10.3233/BME-141053.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25226940 (View on PubMed)

Collado-Mateo D, Lavin-Perez AM, Fuentes Garcia JP, Garcia-Gordillo MA, Villafaina S. Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapies or Horse-Riding Simulators on Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas). 2020 Aug 31;56(9):444. doi: 10.3390/medicina56090444.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 32878327 (View on PubMed)

Uldahl M, Christensen JW, Clayton HM. Relationships between the Rider's Pelvic Mobility and Balance on a Gymnastic Ball with Equestrian Skills and Effects on Horse Welfare. Animals (Basel). 2021 Feb 9;11(2):453. doi: 10.3390/ani11020453.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 33572205 (View on PubMed)

Asgari M, Alizadeh S, Sendt A, Jaitner T. Evaluation of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) in Identifying Active Females Who are Prone to Injury. A Systematic Review. Sports Med Open. 2021 Nov 22;7(1):85. doi: 10.1186/s40798-021-00380-0.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 34807359 (View on PubMed)

O'Connor FG, Deuster PA, Davis J, Pappas CG, Knapik JJ. Functional movement screening: predicting injuries in officer candidates. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Dec;43(12):2224-30. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318223522d.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21606876 (View on PubMed)

Katz-Leurer M, Fisher I, Neeb M, Schwartz I, Carmeli E. Reliability and validity of the modified functional reach test at the sub-acute stage post-stroke. Disabil Rehabil. 2009;31(3):243-8. doi: 10.1080/09638280801927830.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 18608433 (View on PubMed)

Vazquez Morejon AJ, Vazquez-Morejon Jimenez R, Zanin GB. Beck Anxiety Inventory: psychometric characteristics in a sample from the clinical Spanish population. Span J Psychol. 2014 Oct 28;17:E76. doi: 10.1017/sjp.2014.76.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 26055653 (View on PubMed)

Demiral Y, Ergor G, Unal B, Semin S, Akvardar Y, Kivircik B, Alptekin K. Normative data and discriminative properties of short form 36 (SF-36) in Turkish urban population. BMC Public Health. 2006 Oct 9;6:247. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-6-247.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 17029646 (View on PubMed)

Sipe CL, Ramey KD, Plisky PP, Taylor JD. Y-Balance Test: A Valid and Reliable Assessment in Older Adults. J Aging Phys Act. 2019 Sep 1;27(5):663-669. doi: 10.1123/japa.2018-0330.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 30676192 (View on PubMed)

Garcia-Pena IM, Gomez AG, Guerrero-Barona E, Moreno-Manso JM, Barrios-Fernandez S. Physical Activity and Sleep Improvements in a Group of Equestrian Therapy Volunteers: A Pilot Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Mar 30;2022:5364491. doi: 10.1155/2022/5364491. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 35399627 (View on PubMed)

Thompson Coon J, Boddy K, Stein K, Whear R, Barton J, Depledge MH. Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review. Environ Sci Technol. 2011 Mar 1;45(5):1761-72. doi: 10.1021/es102947t. Epub 2011 Feb 3.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21291246 (View on PubMed)

Peddie L, Gosselin Boucher V, Buckler EJ, Noseworthy M, Haight BL, Pratt S, Injege B, Koehle M, Faulkner G, Puterman E. Acute effects of outdoor versus indoor exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychol Rev. 2024 Dec;18(4):853-883. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2024.2383758. Epub 2024 Aug 6.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 39108077 (View on PubMed)

Elmeua Gonzalez M, Sarabon N. Muscle modes of the equestrian rider at walk, rising trot and canter. PLoS One. 2020 Aug 18;15(8):e0237727. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237727. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 32810165 (View on PubMed)

Bystrom A, Egenvall A, Eisersio M, Engell MT, Lykken S, Lundesjo Kvart S. The impact of teaching approach on horse and rider biomechanics during riding lessons. Heliyon. 2025 Jan 14;11(2):e41947. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e41947. eCollection 2025 Jan 30.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 39906839 (View on PubMed)

Legg K, Cochrane D, Gee E, Macdermid P, Rogers C. Physiological Demands and Muscle Activity of Jockeys in Trial and Race Riding. Animals (Basel). 2022 Sep 8;12(18):2351. doi: 10.3390/ani12182351.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 36139208 (View on PubMed)

Kim MJ, Kim T, Oh S, Yoon B. Equine Exercise in Younger and Older Adults: Simulated Versus Real Horseback Riding. Percept Mot Skills. 2018 Feb;125(1):93-108. doi: 10.1177/0031512517736463. Epub 2017 Oct 26.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 29073822 (View on PubMed)

Yu CH, Kim UR, Kwon TK. Fundamental study of basal physical fitness and activities of daily living for the aged in relation to indoor horse riding exercise. Biomed Mater Eng. 2014;24(6):2407-15. doi: 10.3233/BME-141054.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25226941 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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25-109

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id