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Topic:Gait Analysis
Gait analysis in horses involves the systematic study of the movement patterns of horses to assess their locomotion. This analysis is often conducted using advanced technologies such as motion capture systems, force plates, and high-speed cameras to collect quantitative data on various aspects of gait, including stride length, limb movement, and joint angles. Gait analysis is utilized in veterinary medicine, performance evaluation, and rehabilitation to identify abnormalities, improve performance, and monitor recovery from injury. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore methodologies, applications, and findings related to gait analysis in equine science.
Context-aware machine learning for lameness side and severity prediction in trotting horses: A proof-of-concept study. In clinical practice, lameness evaluation often relies on visual assessment under different examination conditions, including ground and figures, and remains subjective. Although objective symmetry indices provide quantitative measures of gait asymmetry, their interpretation across multiple conditions remains challenging because several complementary indices are required and their thresholds vary with context. Objective: To assess the ability of a context-aware machine learning approach to predict lameness side and severity at the trot using trunk-mounted IMUs. Methods: Retrospective observati...
Pilot Study on the Development and Assessment of a Novel Sensor for Measuring Rein Tension. Effective horse-rider communication is essential in equestrian sports, both for performance and animal welfare. Rein tension, which is often applied through negative reinforcement (i.e., the release of pressure to reward a desired response), plays a central role in this interaction. However, high or inconsistent tension can lead to discomfort or injury, particularly in the mouth cavity. While previous studies have analyzed rein tension in basic gaits such as walk, trot, and canter, limited research exists on more complex maneuvers like jumping or abrupt stops. This pilot study introduces a cus...
Validation of a handheld smartphone markerless method for quantifying thoracolumbar flexion-extension range of motion in horses at trot. Back pain and poor performance in horses are difficult to assess objectively and thoracolumbar flexion-extension range of motion (FE) is not reliably evaluated by subjective observation alone. A handheld, smartphone-based markerless computer vision system (RealHorse®; RH) may enable objective clinical and field-based FE assessment but requires validation against an established optical motion capture reference system (Qualisys®; QS). Objective: To compare the accuracy and precision of RH relative to QS for measuring FE in horses trotting on a straight line and on a circle. Methods: Cross-sect...
Quantifying the Equine Pain Response to Paracetamol Administration in Horses With Chronic Lameness Already Receiving Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories. Paracetamol is used in horses alongside non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) for multi-modal analgesia; however to date there are few studies published which have investigated its analgesic effect in the horse. Horses were recruited to this study from a population of geriatric horses at The Horse Trust. Horses were selected based on the following inclusion criteria; documented naturally occurring chronic lameness and being treated with an NSAID at the licensed dose and dosing interval. This population was assessed with a five-point subjective lameness grading system performed live by two...
Pelvic axial rotation in hindlimb lame horses changes after diagnostic analgesia. Visual assessment of mild to moderate hindlimb lameness has low sensitivity and specificity, potentially leading to flawed diagnostic procedures. Pelvic axial rotation (roll) makes the assessment more complex but is also a potential source of information. Objective: To describe pelvic roll patterns in horses with unilateral hindlimb lameness before and after diagnostic analgesia. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Optical motion capture data from 20 horses with unilateral hindlimb lameness before and after successful local analgesia (assessed visually and objectively) were retrospectively ...
Short-term effects of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on subjective flexion-associated lameness responses and circulating cytokines in horses with distal tarsal osteoarthritis. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is commonly used in equine sports medicine for its proposed anti-inflammatory effects; however, limited controlled studies have evaluated its physiologic effects in horses. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of PEMF therapy on flexion-induced lameness and circulating cytokines in horses with radiographic evidence of distal tarsal osteoarthritis. Methods: Six mares were enrolled in a repeated-measures crossover design in which each horse served as its own control. Horses were evaluated at baseline (sham PEMF) and at ...
Cryopreserved umbilical allograft (equicenta® CTM) improves clinical outcomes compared with clinician-selected standard of care in performance horses: a pragmatic prospective controlled trial. This multicenter, prospective, controlled clinical study and client survey evaluated the safety and effectiveness of an equine umbilical tissue suspension (equicenta® CTM; eCTM, 2:1) compared with clinician-selected standard of care (SOC) for treating lame performance horses. Unassigned: This pragmatic, real-world, open-label study enrolled horses diagnosed with appendicular musculoskeletal conditions affecting the joints, tendons, or ligaments under owner consent and an intention-to-treat design with an optional crossover after no improvement at 12 weeks and per-protocol analyses at 26 ...
Species-specific effects of spinal stiffness on gait and actuation-cost proxy in simulated cheetah and horse galloping. Cursorial quadrupeds employ distinct mechanical strategies for high-speed locomotion, with felids relying more strongly on axial motion than equids. The biomechanical role of spinal stiffness, however, is difficult to isolate experimentally because it is coupled to limb mechanics, morphology, and coordination. Here, we used comparative three-dimensional trajectory optimization to test how spinal stiffness influences gait mechanics and actuation-demand proxies in simulated cheetah-like and horse-like galloping. Homologous cheetah and horse models were evaluated across spinal-stiffness values, p...
How obstacle approach shapes rider biomechanics: Changes in kinematics, rein tension and stirrup forces during canter. Show jumping performance depends on the rider's ability to regulate the horse-rider system while maintaining postural stability under dynamic constraints. Although rider biomechanics has been investigated in various equestrian contexts, integrated analyses combining 3D kinematics with rein and stirrup kinetics during jump-approach remain limited. This study aimed to analyse how approaching an obstacle changes a rider's control strategies by comparing sitting canter, two-point canter in straight line without obstacle and jump-approach canter (defined here as the five strides before obstacle) in...
Sensory-driven neck-limb coordination mechanisms for walk-trot-gallop gait transitions. Quadruped animals exhibit various gait patterns and switch from one to another depending on their speed. These gait patterns involve complex whole-body coordination and are mainly controlled by a distributed neural network consisting of central pattern generators (CPGs) and peripheral sensory feedback. However, how these neural networks generate various types of whole-body coordination remains unclear. Here, we focus on horse locomotion and present a neural network model that reproduces walk-trot-gallop transitions by changing only a single parameter related to speed. This model uses ground re...
An Investigation of the Role of Ridden Exercise, Including Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram, in Pre-Purchase Examinations of Sports Horses. Many horses undergo a pre-purchase examination (PPE) prior to acquisition by a new owner; however, despite evidence that lameness and canter dysfunction may only be apparent during ridden exercise, ridden exercises assessing gait quality is not a routine part of PPEs. The objectives were to determine the influence of the results of ridden exercise on decision-making concerning risk assessment for purchase and to establish the long-term performance of horses. Twenty-five sports horses underwent PPEs including ridden exercises to assess gait quality and to apply the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (R...
Inertial measurement units are comparable to motion capture for measuring intersegmental spinal angular velocities in horses. To compare inertial measurement unit (IMU)-derived intersegmental spinal motion data with measurements obtained from a marker-based motion-capture system. Unassigned: 4 horses were instrumented with custom marker clusters incorporating a 3-D-printed base designed to secure the IMU, ensuring both systems recorded data from the same anatomical location and orientation. A total of 3,737 paired time points across 37 gait cycles were analyzed. Agreement in intersegmental angular velocities across 3 planes of motion was evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficients. U...
Smartphone-Based Technologies in Equine Sports Medicine: Supporting Athlete Management-A Review. Equine sports medicine is increasingly oriented toward objective, field-based monitoring systems that support both performance optimization and welfare assessment. In this context, smartphone-based technologies have emerged as accessible tools capable of integrating data acquisition, processing, and interpretation within a single platform. This narrative review aims to examine the role of smartphones in equine sports medicine, focusing on their function as standalone sensing devices and as gateways for wearable and external sensor systems. The analysis is based on a structured synthesis of cur...
Differences in Stride Characteristics Between Lead and Wheel Horses in Competitive Chuckwagon Racing. In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbreds with two lead horses in front and two wheel horses directly behind pull a 600 kg wagon around a racetrack. Our study focuses on stride parameters that have previously retrospectively predicted impending injuries. We hypothesize that in aid of the initiation of the tight figure-of-eight turn at the start of the race, the more agile lead horses gallop with higher stride frequency (SF) and reduced stride length (SL), and that differences are exacerbated in the initial accelerative race segments. Methods: Speed, SF, and SL were quantified with glob...
Phenotypic characterization through identification of gait and coat color phenotype of the Mountain Pleasure Horse. Phenotypic characterization of traits like gait and coat color is useful for minor breed identification and conservation. The Mountain Pleasure Horse (MPH) is a minor American breed as it is listed as threatened by the Livestock Conservancy. Objective: The study objective was to utilize phenotypic characterization for identifying gait and coat color phenotype of the MPH. Methods: Gait was characterized utilizing frame-by-frame analysis to identify spatiotemporal variables of purebred horses (n = 6) performing the flat walk and saddle rack. Coat color was characterized using coat color assi...
Similar locomotor patterns across Quarter Horse disciplines inform lameness assessment. Lineage-based selection is central to the Quarter Horse industry and is often justified by the assumption that morphology determines locomotor function. However, objective evidence linking static conformation to discipline-specific locomotor behaviour under standardised conditions remains limited. Objective: To investigate whether morphological differences among Quarter Horse disciplines are associated with distinct locomotor patterns or whether locomotor function converges across disciplines despite morphological variation. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Barrel racing, reining, and ranch ...
The “gait keeper” mutation does not influence gait scores in Pêga donkeys: a preliminary result. The DMRT3 "gait keeper" mutation is a major determinant of locomotor patterns in horses, but its role in donkeys remains unclear. This study evaluated the association between this polymorphism and gait performance in Pêga donkeys, a breed selected for gaited locomotion. A total of 260 animals were phenotyped for gait scores and genotyped by PCR-sequencing targeting exon 2 of DMRT3. All individuals were homozygous for the wild-type allele (CC), and the mutant A allele was not detected. The monomorphism precludes any association with gait scores, possibly indicating that this DMRT3 mutation has...
Machine learning-based gait classification and genome-wide association identify a QTL for gait type in Colombian paso horses. Coordinated mammalian locomotion relies on spinal circuits where regulates strides and alternative gaits. However, does not explain differences between the Colombian paso horse breed's specialized gaits, Colombian trocha and Colombian trot. We used inertial sensors and machine learning to develop accurate phenotyping ( = 225 horses), before performing genome-wide association analysis ( = 85 horses, 670K array). We identified a 2.43 Mb quantitative trait locus (QTL) on ECA16, where haplotypes featuring lead variants (rs1147402472, = 1.95 × 10; rs1136628503, = 8.52 × 10) explained 48.6% of...
Impact of ununited plantar eminence of the first phalanx on early racing performance in North American Standardbreds. To determine the prevalence of ununited plantar eminence (UPE) of the first phalanx (P1) in North American Standardbreds and evaluate its association with early racing performance. Methods: Retrospective cohort study with matched sibling controls. Methods: Imaging records from 1897 yearling Standardbred horses. Methods: Screening images were reviewed for the presence of UPE and other orthopedic abnormalities. Sex, age, sire, gait, and racing performance data were obtained from the United States Trotting Association. Affected horses were compared with unaffected siblings using non-parametric te...
A multimodal approach to equine thoracolumbar myofascial pain: integrating clinical examination, AI-based gait analysis, and the ridden horse pain ethogram. Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is considered highly prevalent in horses, yet it is frequently underdiagnosed due to limited understanding of its clinical presentation and functional consequences, as well as the inherent challenges associated with its clinical assessment and objective measurement. In equines, the relationship between palpation-based MPS indicators, gait asymmetries, and pain-related behaviours during ridden work remains unclear. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the association between thoracolumbar palpation pain scores and gait asymmetries measured in-hand and dur...
Is the walk and trot efficiency a hereditary trait in primitive Konik Polski horses? Performance testing is a critical tool for achieving genetic progress, yet its long-term effectiveness in primitive breeds under conservation programs is poorly documented. The Konik Polski horse breeding program aims to improve utility while preserving primitive characteristics. Unassigned: This retrospective study analyzed a 25-year longitudinal dataset ( = 1,608) from the official Field Performance Test to quantify genetic trends in gait efficiency, using nonparametric methods to assess the effects of test type, year, and age on stride length and speed at the walk and trot. To estimate he...
Synchronization dynamics between rider and saddle motion across gaits revealed by IMU analysis. Effective rider-horse coordination is essential for performance and welfare, yet objective, field-based quantification of rider-saddle synchronization across gaits remains limited. Objective: To quantify dynamic synchronization between rider motion and saddle motion (as a proxy for horse trunk oscillations) across walk, trot, and canter using a minimal inertial measurement unit (IMU) setup, and to determine whether synchronization differs between rider body segments. Methods: Two experienced riders (8-20 years riding experience) rode their own or familiar warmblood horses (n = 2; age 6-14 year...
Measuring Chuckwagon Racehorse Movement Asymmetry Before and After Racing Using Wearable GNSS-IMUs: A Preliminary Study. In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbred horses pull wagons at high speeds. Movement symmetry is a key locomotion metric linked to force production, racing direction, and lameness. Racehorse symmetry in trot during on-track warmups and cooldowns was assessed. Over 10 days, 60 horses (average 8 per day) were fitted with Global Navigation Satellite Systems combined with Inertial Measurement Unit (GNSS-IMU) sensors. Weight-bearing asymmetry was quantified using the minimum difference (MnD) in vertical trunk displacement between diagonal limb pairs, and push-off asymmetry was quantified us...
Effects of shoeing on forelimb biomechanics in walking horses. Hoof trimming and shoeing techniques are used to manage and prevent equine limb injuries. However, quantitative studies comparing the effects of different shoeing techniques on equine joint biomechanics over the full gait cycle are lacking. Objective: To measure and compare joint motion and net torques at the distal forelimb joints when horses walk overground unshod, with a standard flat shoe, and with a rocker shoe. Methods: In vivo study. Methods: Gait data were recorded from 12 sound horses during walking. Three shoeing conditions were tested: unshod, flat shoe, and rocker shoe. Data were r...
Audio-Based Characterization of Gait Parameters in Mangalarga Marchador, Campolina, and Piquira Horses Using Deep Learning. The evaluation of biomechanical parameters in four-beat gaited horses remains limited by the subjectiveness and complexity of current standard methods. Through a deep learning approach, we aimed to infer dissociation % using only acoustic signals. A total of 268 audio samples were extracted from publicly available videos featuring three Brazilian horse breeds (Mangalarga Marchador, Campolina, and Piquira) performing marcha batida and marcha picada. Acoustic features, including root mean square energy (RMS), zero-crossing rate (ZCR), and 13 Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs), were extr...
Extraction of Kinematic Parameters and Comparative Study of Endurance Levels in Mongolian Horses. Mongolian horses are an indigenous Chinese breed known for their endurance capacity, yet quantitative descriptions of their gait-related kinematic characteristics remain limited. This pilot exploratory study aimed to describe the kinematics of Mongolian horses during walk, slow trot, and fast trot, and to examine whether selected variables differed between race-result groups in a 12 km endurance race. Forty-six horses were classified into an excellent group and an ordinary group based on the result of a single race. Kinematic data were collected using optical motion capture and three-dimension...
Efficacy of an Oral Chondroprotective Joint Supplement on Stride Length and Gait Symmetry in Aged Geldings with Chronic Lameness. Oral joint supplements (OJSs), specifically those containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, are some of the most popular feed additives fed by horse owners. However, evidence of the efficacy of these nutraceuticals in vivo is lacking. To investigate the impacts of an OJS on equine lameness, 40 geldings (18 ± 7 yr) with chronic lameness and AAEP lameness grades between 2 and 4 (as scored by a veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist) were enrolled in the study. Horses were stratified by lameness grade, BCS, and weight, and then randomly assigned to receive a placebo powde...
Influence of riders’ physical activity on improving seat balance in the context of horse welfare – A pilot study. This study aimed to investigate the impact of gym exercises for riders on their posture and the subsequent effect on reducing discomfort for their horses during training, using electronic pressure sensors. The study involved 20 warmblood horses aged 5-10 years, regularly ridden under saddle, and four riders of similar height and body weight. The study group was divided into a control group (10 horses) and an experimental group (10 horses). The horses were trained 5 days a week for 60 days in total. Riders trained three times a week for approximately 60 minutes. The exercises were designed to i...
Objective gait analysis methods for assessing movement asymmetry in the equine patient. To demonstrate the uses, data interpretation, and limitations of objective gait analysis methods in equine practice. Unassigned: Teaching and client-owned horses. Unassigned: Informed owner consent was obtained for all animals used in the making of this technical tutorial video. Primary literature relevant to this video was reviewed from January 2016 to January 2026. Images and data were collected from teaching horses and client-owned horses. Unassigned: Objective gait analysis provides accurate and repeatable data on the locomotion of a horse; however, inaccuracies may occur, especially in ca...
Case Report: Neurologic signs following rattlesnake envenomation. Rattlesnake envenomation is a common emergency in horses in California. Rattlesnakes belong to a group of venomous snakes: pit vipers. The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (), a subspecies of the Western Rattlesnake, is the most widespread rattlesnake in California (1). A 5-year-old miniature horse mare presented for a presumed Western Rattlesnake bite. The owners found the horse the morning of presentation with severe facial swelling and the horse was housed in an area where rattlesnakes are commonly observed. The horse was reported to be normal the day prior to presentation. On blood examination...
