ArticleBMC psychology2026
Riding toward better math: executive functions mediate the link between horseback activities and children's mathematical achievement.
Article in BMC psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Research directly examining the cognitive and academic correlates of horseback-riding in childhood remains limited. This study examined the relationships among monthly horseback-riding hours, executive function (EF), and mathematics achievement in children aged 7–9 years. A sample of 262 participants from Saudi Arabia was assessed using parent interviews and official educational records, with data collected from sports clubs and horse stables. EF was modeled as a latent construct—including organization and planning, working memory, emotion regulation, self-control, and motivation—`using structural equation modeling in R (lavaan 0.6–12). Model fit was excellent (CFI ≥ 0.98, TLI ≥ 0.98, RMSEA ≤ 0.05, SRMR ≤ 0.03), and multivariate normality was supported by nonsignificant Mardia’s coefficients. In the direct-effects model, horseback-riding hours (β = 0.175, p = 0.004) and age (β = 0.156, p = 0.011) significantly predicted mathematics scores. When EF was introduced as a mediator, both predictors significantly predicted EF—which, in turn, strongly predicted mathematics achievement (β = 0.958, p < 0.001); however, the direct effects became nonsignificant. The strongest EF loadings were observed for organization and planning (≈ 0.88) and self-control (≈ 0.85). In the final full-mediation model, horseback-riding hours (β = 0.170, p = 0.007) and age (β = 0.151, p = 0.017) influenced mathematics exclusively through EF (β = 0.971, p < 0.001). The results show that EF statistically mediates the association between horseback-riding hours and mathematics achievement in the present model, highlighting the potential relevance of cognitively rich physical activities for academic outcomes.
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