Kinematics in horses refers to the study of motion without considering the forces that cause it. This field involves analyzing the movement patterns of horses, including gait, stride length, joint angles, and limb trajectories. Kinematic analysis is performed using technologies such as high-speed cameras and motion capture systems to collect data on equine locomotion. This information is valuable for understanding normal and abnormal movement, assessing performance, and identifying potential lameness or injury. The study of kinematics provides insights into the biomechanics of horse movement and contributes to advancements in training, rehabilitation, and veterinary care. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and applications of kinematic analysis in equine science.
Gómez Alvarez CB, Wennerstrand J, Bobbert MF, Lamers L, Johnston C, Back W, van Weeren PR.Lameness has often been suggested to result in altered movement of the back, but there are no detailed studies describing such a relationship in quantitative terms. Objective: To quantify the effect of induced subtle forelimb lameness on thoracolumbar kinematics in the horse. Methods: Kinematics of 6 riding horses was measured at walk and at trot on a treadmill before and after the induction of reversible forelimb lameness grade 2 (AAEP scale 1-5). Ground reaction forces (GRF) for individual limbs were calculated from kinematics. Results: The horses significantly unloaded the painful limb by 1...
Bonin SJ, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL, Johnston T.Previous studies have suggested that temporomandibular joint (TMJ) kinematics depend on the type of food being masticated, but accurate measurements of TMJ motion in horses chewing different feeds have not been published. Objective: The temporomandibular joint has a larger range of motion when horses chew hay compared to pellets. Methods: An optical motion capture system was used to track skin markers on the skull and mandible of 7 horses as they chewed hay and pellets. A virtual marker was created on the midline between the mandibles at the level of the 4th premolar teeth to represent the ove...
Bobbert MF, Gómez Alvarez CB, van Weeren PR, Roepstorff L, Weishaupt MA.The purpose of this study was to determine whether individual limb forces could be calculated accurately from kinematics of trotting and walking horses. We collected kinematic data and measured vertical ground reaction forces on the individual limbs of seven Warmblood dressage horses, trotting at 3.4 m s(-1) and walking at 1.6 m s(-1) on a treadmill. First, using a segmental model, we calculated from kinematics the total ground reaction force vector and its moment arm relative to each of the hoofs. Second, for phases in which the body was supported by only two limbs, we calculated the individu...
Reilly SM, McElroy EJ, Biknevicius AR.A reanalysis of locomotor data from functional, energetic, mechanical and ecological perspectives reveals that limb posture has major effects on limb biomechanics, energy-saving mechanisms and the costs of locomotion. Regressions of data coded by posture (crouched vs. erect) reveal nonlinear patterns in metabolic cost, limb muscle mass, effective mechanical advantage, and stride characteristics. In small crouched animals energy savings from spring and pendular mechanisms are inconsequential and thus the metabolic cost of locomotion is driven by muscle activation costs. Stride frequency appears...
Haussler KK, Hill AE, Puttlitz CM, McIlwraith CW.To measure passive spinal movements induced during dorsoventral mobilization and evaluate effects of induced pain and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) on passive vertebral mobility in standing horses. Methods: 10 healthy adult horses. Methods: Baseline vertical displacements, applied force, stiffness, and frequency of the oscillations were measured during dorsoventral spinal mobilization at 5 thoracolumbar intervertebral sites. As a model for back pain, fixation pins were temporarily implanted into the dorsal spinous processes of adjacent vertebrae at 2 of the intervertebral sites. Vertebral ...
Lawson SE, Chateau H, Pourcelot P, Denoix JM, Crevier-Denoix N.The sagittal alteration of hoof balance is a common intervention in horses, with corrective shoeing being one of the most frequently applied methods of managing tendonitis. However, the effect of toe or heel elevation on tendon strains is poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the effect of toe and heel wedges on the superficial digital flexor tendon, deep digital flexor tendon, and the third interosseous muscle or suspensory ligament strains using in vivo data and an accurate subject-specific model. Kinematic data were recorded using invasive markers at the walk and trot. Computerized...
Gómez Alvarez CB, Rhodin M, Bobber MF, Meyer H, Weishaupt MA, Johnston C, Van Weeren PR.In many equestrian activities a specific position of head and/or neck is required that is dissimilar to the natural position. There is controversy about the effects of these positions on locomotion pattern, but few quantitative data are available. Objective: To quantify the effects of 5 different head and neck positions on thoracolumbar kinematics of the horse. Methods: Kinematics of 7 high level dressage horses were measured walking and trotting on an instrumented treadmill with the head and neck in the following positions: HNP2 = neck raised, bridge of the nose in front of the vertical; HNP3...
Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix JM.Understanding of the biomechanical effects of egg-bar shoes remains incomplete because kinematic studies are usually performed on hard tracks and with skin markers that do not measure the actual 3-dimensional (3D) movements of the 3 digital joints. Objective: To quantify the effects of egg-bar shoes on the 3D kinematics of the distal forelimb in horses walking on a sand track. Methods: Four healthy horses were equipped with ultrasonic markers fixed surgically to the 4 distal segments of the left forelimb. The 3D movements of these segments were recorded while the horses were walking on a sand ...
Clayton HM, Sha DH.Horses are often worked along a circular trajectory but the mechanics of turning have not been reported. Objective: To develop a methodology for kinematic analysis of horses during circling and to report preliminary findings describing movements of the total body centre of mass (COMbody). Methods: Seventy-five skin markers, distributed over the head, neck, trunk and limbs of 5 sound horses, were tracked in a global coordinate system at 120 Hz as the horses trotted around a small circle. Based on segmental inertial data, 3D positions of the segmental centres of mass and COMbody were calculated....
Riber C, Cuesta I, Muñoz A, Gata J, Trigo P, Castejón FM.Fatigue during endurance rides might induce changes in gait pattern that could be difficult to distinguish from subtle lameness. Objective: To assess changes in gait pattern en route, in fore(FL) and hindlimbs (HL) and establish differences between excellent (EP) and good performers (GP). Methods: Seventy-five sound and fit horses that completed endurance rides of 80 km were filmed at trot in the vet-gates (VGs) prior to competitions (VGO), and at 29 km (VG1), 59 km (VG2) and 80 km (VG3). Mean gait velocity (V), stride length (SL), duration (SD) and frequency (SF) were measured. Also, stance (...
Byström A, Roepstorff L, Johnston C.No data exist on the GRF-kinematics relation due to changes caused by equestrian interventions. Objective: Through the judicious use of draw reins the rider can influence the kinematics of the horse to meet stated goals of dressage training. Relating the results to previously published kinetic data of the same experiment implies a possible relationship between kinetics and kinematics. Methods: The kinematics of 8 sound Swedish Warmblood horses were measured whilst the horses were being ridden with and without draw reins. Three conditions were evaluated: 1) draw reins only (DR), 2) combination ...
Peham C, Girtler D, Kicker C, Licka T.Raised heels are commonly recommended for various equine orthopaedic conditions. However, the simultaneous effect of raised heels on the different joint angles of the equine hindlimb throughout the motion cycle has not been previously evaluated. Objective: To document the simultaneous effect of raised heels on the joint angles of the equine hindlimb coffin, fetlock and hock joints. Methods: Eight sound, adult, Warmblood horses were evaluated barefoot and with a heel wedge of 8 or 16 degrees, walking and trotting on a horizontal treadmill. Markers placed on the dorsal and cranial aspect of the ...
Weishaupt MA, Wiestner T, von Peinen K, Waldern N, Roepstorff L, van Weeren R, Meyer H, Johnston C.Little is known in quantitative terms about the influence of different head-neck positions (HNPs) on the loading pattern of the locomotor apparatus. Therefore it is difficult to predict whether a specific riding technique is beneficial for the horse or if it may increase the risk for injury. Objective: To improve the understanding of forelimb-hindlimb balance and its underlying temporal changes in relation to different head and neck positions. Methods: Vertical ground reaction force and time parameters of each limb were measured in 7 high level dressage horses while being ridden at walk and tr...
Clayton HM, Sha DH, Stick JA, Robinson P.The objective was to measure 3D rotations of the distal (DIP) and proximal (PIP) interphalangeal joints at walk and trot. 3D trajectories of markers fixed to the proximal phalanx, middle phalanx and the hoof wall of the right forelimb of four sound horses were recorded at 120 Hz. Joint kinematics were calculated in terms of anatomically-based joint coordinate systems between the bone segments. Ranges of motion were similar at walk and trot. Values for the DIP joint were: flexion/extension: 46 +/- 3 degrees at walk, 47 +/- 4 degrees at trot; internal/external rotation: 5 +/- 1 degrees at walk, ...
Weller R, Pfau T, Babbage D, Brittin E, May SA, Wilson AM.The importance of a reliable method for conformation studies is generally acknowledged, but there are only limited data on the accuracy and precision of current assessment methods. Objective: To assess (1) the accuracy and repeatability of marker placement, (2) influence of stance of the horse on conformational parameters, (3) practicality of a computerised motion analysis system and (4) to compare the computerised motion analysis system to photographic systems of assessment. Methods: Twenty-eight reflective markers placed over anatomical landmarks were located in 3D using a computerised motio...
Gnagey L, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL.The tarsal joint is a frequent site of lameness, but little objective information is available regarding the effects of tarsal conformation on joint movements or forces. Objective: To compare tarsal kinematics and kinetics in horses with large, intermediate and small tarsal angles. Methods: Sagittal plane standing angle of the right tarsal joint was measured in 16 horses as they stood squarely with the hind hooves vertically beneath the hip joint. Tarsal angles were classified as small (< 155.5 degrees), intermediate (155.5-165.5 degrees) or large (> 165.5 degrees). Reflective markers, attache...
Robilliard JJ, Pfau T, Wilson AM.Although a large number of foot-fall sequences are possible in quadrupeds, few sequences are routinely used. The aim of this paper is to characterise, by foot-fall pattern, the gaits used by horses and develop a novel technique to classify symmetric and asymmetric gaits using one common criterion. To achieve this speed and relative foot-fall, timings of all four limbs of eight Icelandic horses were measured using accelerometers. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed to find criteria that are optimal for discriminating between the different gaits. This also allowed us to evaluate whe...
Witte TH, Hirst CV, Wilson AM.Stride duration, stance duration and protraction duration are key variables when describing the gaits of terrestrial animals. Together, they determine the duty factor (the fraction of the stride for which the limb maintains contact with the ground surface), from which the peak vertical force can be estimated. When an animal changes speed, these variables change at different proportions. Limited measurements of these variables and predictions of peak limb force have been undertaken for large mammals performing high-speed over-ground exercise. This study set out to make such measurements, employ...
Dutto DJ, Hoyt DF, Clayton HM, Cogger EA, Wickler SJ.The net work of the limbs during constant speed over level ground should be zero. However, the partitioning of negative and positive work between the fore- and hindlimbs of a quadruped is not likely to be equal because the forelimb produces a net braking force while the hindlimb produces a net propulsive force. It was hypothesized that the forelimb would do net negative work while the hindlimb did net positive work during trotting in the horse. Because vertical and horizontal impulses remain unchanged across speeds it was hypothesized that net work of both limbs would be independent of speed. ...
Pfau T, Witte TH, Wilson AM.During locomotion cyclical interchange between different forms of mechanical energy enhances economy; however, 100% efficiency cannot be achieved and ultimately some mechanical work must be performed de novo. There is a metabolic cost associated with fluctuations in mechanical energy, even in the most efficient animals. In this study we investigate the exchanges between different forms of mechanical energy involved in high-speed gallop locomotion in Thoroughbred race horses during over-ground locomotion using innovative, mobile data collection techniques. We use hoof-mounted accelerometers to ...
Biknevicius AR, Mullineaux DR, Clayton HM.To evaluate the locomotor mechanics of the tölt in Icelandic horses. Methods: 10 adult Icelandic horses with no history of lameness. Methods: Force platform data were captured for 27 trials for horses ridden at a tölt in a lateral sequence single-foot gait at a steady speed from 0.89 to 5.98 m/s. Simultaneous kinematic data were obtained by tracking retroflective markers overlying the right fore- and hind limbs. These kinetic and kinematic data were combined to evaluate 3 mechanical approaches, duty factor, Froude number, and center of mass (COM) mechanics, and to evaluate the capacity to re...
Hobbs SJ, Richards J, Matuszewski B, Brigden C.To develop and evaluate a marker cluster set for measuring sagittal and extrasagittal movement of joints in the distal portion of the forelimb in ponies. Methods: 4 ponies. Methods: 5 infrared cameras were positioned on a concrete walkway in a frontal-sagittal arc and calibrated. Four segments were defined: hoof, middle phalanx, proximal phalanx, and metacarpus. Rigid clusters with 4 retroreflective markers were placed on each segment. A static trial was recorded with additional anatomic markers on the medial and lateral joint lines. Those anatomic markers were removed, and kinematic data were...
van Heel MC, van Weeren PR, Back W.To determine the mechanism that enables horses to partially counteract the shift of the center of pressure under the hoof induced by changes in hoof morphology attributable to growth and wear during a shoeing interval. Methods: 18 clinically sound Warmblood horses. Methods: Horses were evaluated 2 days and 8 weeks after shoeing during trotting on a track containing pressure-force measuring plates and by use of a synchronous infrared gait analysis system set at a frequency of 240 Hz. All feet were trimmed toward straight alignment of the proximal, middle, and distal phalanges and shod with stan...
Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix JM.Comprehensive understanding of the 3-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the distal forelimb and precise knowledge of alterations induced by dorsopalmar foot imbalance remains incomplete because in vivo studies performed with skin markers do not measure the actual movements of the 3 digital joints. Objective: To quantify the effects of 6 degree heel or toe wedges on the 3D movements of the 4 distal segments of the forelimb in horses trotting on a treadmill. Methods: Three healthy horses were equipped with ultrasonic markers fixed surgically to the 4 distal segments of the left forelimb. The 3D move...
Bonin SJ, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL, Johnson TJ.To develop a method of measuring 3-dimensional kinematics of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in horses chewing sweet feed. Methods: 4 mature horses that had good dental health. Methods: Markers attached to the skin over the skull and mandible were tracked by an optical tracking system. Movements of the mandible relative to the skull were described in terms of 3 rotations and 3 translations. A virtual marker was created on the midline between the rami of the mandibles at the level of the rostral end of the facial crest to facilitate observation of mandibular movements. Results: During the ope...
Bullimore SR, Burn JF.It is possible for animals of very different sizes to use the same patterns of locomotion, i.e. to move in a ;dynamically similar fashion'. This will only occur, however, if relevant biomechanical parameters scale with size in such a way that they compensate for the effects of size differences. Here we apply this principle to understanding the effects of size on locomotion within a species: the domestic horse. We predict that, without any factor to compensate for size differences, detectable deviations from dynamically similar locomotion would occur over the size range present in adult horses....
Holm KR, Wennerstrand J, Lagerquist U, Eksell R, Johnston C.Diagnostic infiltration of local anaesthetic solution is commonly used in cases of equine back pain. Evaluation is subjective and it is not known how local analgesia of the back affects horses without clinical signs of back pain. Objective: To evaluate the effect of infiltration of local anaesthetics on the movement of the back in horses without clinical signs of back pain, and to evaluate the usefulness of kinematic studies as an objective and quantitative tool in evaluating local analgesia in clinical practice. Methods: The kinematics of the back in 10 clinically sound horses were measured o...
Journal of motor behaviorNovember 11, 2005
Volume 37, Issue 6 418-424 doi: 10.3200/JMBR.37.6.418-424
Lagarde J, Kelso JA, Peham C, Licka T.The authors studied the interaction between rider and horse by measuring their ensemble motions in a trot sequence, comparing 1 expert and 1 novice rider. Whereas the novice's movements displayed transient departures from phase synchrony, the expert's motions were continuously phase-matched with those of the horse. The tight ensemble synchrony between the expert and the horse was accompanied by an increase in the temporal regularity of the oscillations of the trunk of the horse. Observed differences between expert and novice riders indicated that phase synchronization is by no means perfect bu...
Ishihara A, Bertone AL, Rajala-Schultz PJ.To evaluate the association between subjective lameness grades and kinetic gait parameters and assess the variability in kinetic parameters in horses with experimentally induced forelimb lameness. Methods: 32 horses. Methods: Forelimb lameness was induced in each horse via injection of lipopolysaccharide into 1 metacarpophalangeal joint (40 experimental trials). Subjective lameness grading and 13 kinetic gait parameters (force plate analysis) were assessed before (baseline) and at 12, 18, and 24 hours after lipopolysaccharide injection. While horses were trotting, kinetic gait analysis was per...
Powers P.Sagittal plane SVHS video recordings (50 Hz) were made of horses jumping the wall at an international Puissance competition. Video sequences were manually digitized and six kinematic variables at take-off were analyzed. Nine horses started the competition with the fence height at 1.80 m, and two horses attempted the fence in the fifth and final round with the fence height at 2.27 m. For successful performances, fence height was correlated with the following take-off variables: vertical velocity of the centre of mass (r = 0.45, p = 0.03); height of centre of mass (r = 0.44, p = 0.04); distance ...
Holmström M, Drevemo S.The angular velocities of the hindlimb angles of 14 horses, including 6 Grand Prix dressage horses, 4 horses judged as good at the trot and 4 horses judged as poor, were analysed. The horse material was the same as previously used by Holmström (1994) in studies on conformation and trotting gaits in the Swedish Warmblood riding horse. Four consecutive strides of each horse and the corresponding pace were analysed and mean velocity curves (Xh) for each angle were calculated. Before calculation the data were filtered forwards and backwards with a Butterworth third order filter with a cut off fre...
Pfau T, Bolt DM, Fiske-Jackson A, Gerdes C, Hoenecke K, Lynch L, Perrier M, Smith RKW.Diagnostic analgesia and lunging are parts of the equine lameness examination, aiding veterinarians in localizing the anatomical region(s) causing pain-related movement deficits. Expectation bias of visual assessment and complex movement asymmetry changes in lame horses on the lunge highlight the need to investigate data-driven approaches for optimally integrating quantitative gait data into veterinary decision-making to remove bias. A retrospective analysis was conducted with inertial sensor movement symmetry data before/after diagnostic analgesia relative to subjective judgement of efficacy ...
Sleutjens J, Serra Bragança FM, van Empelen MW, Ten Have RE, de Zwaan J, Roelfsema E, Oosterlinck M, Back W.Obesity and hyperinsulinaemia are frequently encountered in the equine population and risk factors for the development of laminitis. There are many options for hoof support that claim a beneficial effect, but often the scientific evidence is scarce. Objective: To quantify the effect of frog-supportive shoes on hoof kinetics in normal and obese ponies. Methods: Controlled in vivo trial. Methods: Ten Shetland mares (n = 10) with a normal (n = 5) or obese (n = 5) body condition were led over a dynamically calibrated pressure plate before (T0), immediately after (T1) and 72 h (T2) after ap...
Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix JM.To develop a method that allows quantification of the 3 anatomic rotations in the digital joints of moving horses and measure these rotations when horses are walking in a straight line on a hard track. Methods: 4 healthy French Trotter horses. Methods: Triads of ultrasonic kinematic markers were surgically linked to the 4 distal segments of the digits of the left forelimb of each horse. Three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates of these markers were recorded in horses walking in a straight line. The three angles of rotation of each digital joint were calculated by use of a joint coordinate system as...
Back W, Schamhardt HC, Hartman W, Bruin G, Barneveld A.The gait of 24 horses was recorded on a treadmill when they were trotting at 4 m sec-1, first when they were four months old and again when they were 26 months. The data recorded at four months were used to predict the locomotion of the adult horses, and the predictions were assessed against the data recorded at 26 months. The locomotion of the foals and the adults appeared to be closely related, when the differences in segment length and joint angles due to growth were taken into account. The duration of swing, the total range of protraction and retraction, and the maximum tarsal flexion coul...
Bobbert MF, Santamaría S, van Weeren PR, Back W, Barneveld A.The purpose of this study was to quantify performance characteristics of good jumping horses, and to determine whether these were already detectable at foal age. Kinematic data were collected of horses performing free jumps over a 0.60 m high fence at six months of age and of these same horses jumping with a rider over a 1.15 m high fence at five years of age. At five years of age the horses were divided into three groups on the basis of a puissance competition: a group of seven best jumpers that made no errors and in the end cleared a 1.50 m high fence, a group of nine worst jumpers that were...
Solé M, Santos R, Molina A, Galisteo A, Valera M.The possibility of using quantitative kinematic traits as indirect selection criteria for sport performance could be beneficial to perform an early genetic evaluation of the animals. The genetic parameters for objectively measured kinematic traits under field conditions have been estimated for the first time, in order to potentially use these traits as indicators of gait quality in future selection of the Lusitano breed. The repeatability within three different types of training (dressage, bullfighting and untrained) was also discussed. A total of 176 males (4 to 14 years old) were recorded at...
Fortier Guillaume J, Laroche D, Babault N.The objective of this study was to identify the key biomechanical patterns (functional muscles and kinematics) of amateur horse riders during various cross-country jumps in equestrian. Eleven riders first performed a control condition that corresponded to jumps over three different obstacles (log wall, brush and tree trunk) before jumping over the same three obstacles in a cross-country course. 3D Kinematics and electromyographic (EMG) activity was synchronously collected which included seven muscles of the riders back, lower and upper limbs. Maximum voluntary isometric strength of knee extens...
Khumsap S, Lanovaz JL, Clayton HM.Techniques for 3D analysis have recently been developed. This study applied 3D kinematic analysis to describe the effects of lameness in the distal intertarsal (DIT) and tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints; complex joints such as this may show measurable amounts of movement outside the sagittal plane that may change in response to pathological conditions. Objective: Three-dimensional motions of the tarsal joint change after the induction of synovitis at the DIT and TMT joints. Methods: Twelve retroreflective markers, attached on the skin over the right limb, were used to develop 3D coordinate systems...
Much ML, Leatherwood JL, Martinez RE, Silvers BL, Basta CF, Gray LF, Bradbery AN.Twenty stock-type horses (589 ± 126 kg BW; 13 ± 8 yr) were used in a completely randomized design for 28-d to evaluate the impact of a joint supplement on gait kinematics, inflammation, and cartilage metabolism. Horses were stratified by age, sex, body weight (BW), and initial lameness scores and were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments consisting of either a 100-g placebo top-dressed daily to 0.6% BW (as-fed) commercial concentrate (CON; n = 10; SafeChoice Original, Cargill, Inc.), or an oral joint supplement (SmartPak Equine LLC) containing glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, ...
Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM.One of the goals of the neuromotor control system is to minimize the cost of locomotion by reducing mechanical energy losses. Collisional mechanics, which studies the redirection of the downwards motion of the center of mass (COM) by ground reaction forces (GRF) generated by the limbs, represents an important source of energy loss. The primary objective of this study was to compare collisional mechanics and the associated mechanical energy losses in horses performing diagonally-synchronized gaits over a range of speeds. It is to be expected that collisional energy losses will be high when the ...
Patterson M, Doyle J, Cahill E, Caulfield B, McCarthy Persson U.Horse rider ability has long been measured using horse performance, competition results and visual observation. Scientific methods of measuring rider ability on the flat are emerging such as measuring position angles and harmony of the horse-rider system. To date no research has quantified rider ability in show jumping. Kinematic analysis and motion sensors have been used in sports other than show jumping to measure the quality of motor control patterns in humans. The aim of this study was to quantify rider ability in show jumping using body-mounted IMUs. Preliminary results indicate that ther...
Wang L, Zhang W, Wang C, Meng F, Du W, Wang T.In this study, the configuration of a bionic horse robot for equine-assisted therapy is presented. A single-leg system with two degrees of freedom (DOFs) is driven by a cam-linkage mechanism, and it can adjust the span and height of the leg end-point trajectory. After a brief introduction on the quadruped bionic horse robot, the structure and working principle of a single-leg system are discussed in detail. Kinematic analysis of a single-leg system is conducted, and the relationships between the structural parameters and leg trajectory are obtained. On this basis, the pressure angle characteri...
Ramón T, Prades M, Armengou L, Lanovaz JL, Mullineaux DR, Clayton HM.Athletic taping is used frequently by human athletes to stabilise, maintain or strengthen soft tissue structures, but empirical evidence supporting any changes in equine kinematics is lacking. Objective: To assess the effects of athletic taping of the fetlock applied by an experienced athletic trainer on forelimb mechanics in healthy horses. Objective: That athletic taping of the distal forelimb reduces 1) hyperextension of the fetlock joint during stance, 2) flexion of the fetlock joint during swing and 3) ground reaction forces during stance. Methods: Ground reaction force and kinematic data...
Khumsap S, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL.To measure the effect of subject velocity on hind limb ground reaction force variables at the walk and to use the data to predict the force variables at different walking velocities in horses. Methods: 5 clinically normal horses. Methods: Kinematic and force data were collected simultaneously. Each horse was led over a force plate at a range of walking velocities. Stance duration and force data were recorded for the right hind limb. To avoid the effect of horse size on the outcome variables, the 8 force variables were standardized to body mass and height at the shoulders. Velocity was standard...
Pourcelot P, Audigié F, Degueurce C, Denoix JM, Geiger D.This study was conducted to evaluate a method for quantifying the flexion-extension movements of the back of horses trotting on a track in the conditions of the clinical lameness examination. Using a 3-D kinematic analysis system, the successive positions of four markers placed at regular intervals between the withers and the tuber sacrale were recorded. To isolate the flexion-extension movements of the back, the positions of these four markers were recomputed in a trunk-related co-ordinate system of the horse. Then, for each frame, the equation of the third-order polynomial that best fitted t...
Santamaría S, Bobbert ME, Back W, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.To quantify variation in the jumping technique within and among young horses with little jumping experience, establish relationships between kinetic and kinematic variables, and identify a limited set of variables characteristic for detecting differences in jumping performance among horses. Methods: Fifteen 4-year-old Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: The horses were raised under standardized conditions and trained in accordance with a fixed protocol for a short period. Subsequently, horses were analyzed kinematically during free jumping over a fence with a height of 1.05 m. Results: Within-hor...
Kaido M, Kilborne AH, Sizemore JL, Reisbig NA, Aarnes TK, Bertone AL.OBJECTIVE To analyze the effects of vertical force peak (VFP) of repition within trials and between trial sessions in horses with naturally occurring appendicular lameness. ANIMALS 20 lame horses acclimated to trotting over a force plate. PROCEDURES Kinetic gait data were collected by use of a force plate regarding affected and contralateral limbs of lame horses that completed 5 valid repetitions in each of 5 sessions performed at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours, constituting 1 trial/horse. Data were compared within and among repetitions and sessions, and factors influencing VFP values were identifi...
Waldern NM, Wiestner T, Ramseier LC, Weishaupt MA.To compare gait mechanics and limb loading in Icelandic horses tölting and trotting at equal speeds and estimate their impact on orthopedic health. Methods: 12 orthopedically normal Icelandic horses. PROCEDURES Kinetic and kinematic gait variables were simultaneously recorded as each horse was ridden at a tölt and trot on an instrumented treadmill at 3.4 m/s and 3.9 m/s. Differences between gaits were tested via 1-factor repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Horses had a higher stride rate and lower stride impulses at a tölt than at a trot. For forelimbs at a tölt, shorter relative stance dura...
Kai M, Takahashi T, Aoki O, Oki H.No kinetic data are available to indicate the influence of a rough track surface and the resultant loss of footing on the components of hoof vertical forces. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of rough track surfaces on the components of hoof vertical forces. Seven clinically sound 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses had instrumented shoes attached to both of the fore hooves to obtain the magnitudes of consecutive forces exerted in the hoof. All horses were cantered at approximately 10 m/s on straight tracks of smooth and rough surfaces of woodchip and dirt. The instrumented...
Brooks AC, Menzies-Gow NJ, Wheeler-Jones CP, Bailey SR, Elliott J, Cunningham FM.Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can activate equine platelets directly or indirectly, via leukocyte-derived platelet activating factor (PAF). Thromboxane (Tx) production by LPS-stimulated equine platelets requires p38 MAPK and this kinase has been suggested as a therapeutic target in endotoxaemia. The present study has utilised selective inhibitors to investigate the role of p38 MAPK and two other kinases, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase C (PKC), in regulating PAF-induced Tx production, aggregation and 5-HT release in equine platelets, and the modification of these responses b...
Nauwelaerts S, Aerts P, Clayton H.Gaits can be defined based upon specific interlimb coordination patterns characteristic of a limited range of speeds, with one or more defining variables changing discontinuously at a transition. With changing speed, horses perform a repertoire of gaits (walk, trot, canter and gallop), with transitions between them. Knowledge of the series of kinematic events necessary to realize a gait is essential for understanding the proximate mechanisms as well as the control underlying gait transitions. We studied the kinematics of the actual transition from trot to canter in miniature horses. The kinema...
Burn JF, Brockington C.Deformation of the hoof capsule occurs during stance phase as a result of loading by the distal phalanx. The objective of this study was to evaluate optical motion capture as a technique for measuring hoof deformation during locomotion, and to quantify the deformation of the dorsal wall during stance phase. The front left feet of 3 clinically sound horses were used for this study. The hoof wall was cleaned and 9 retroreflective markers were glued to the lateral and dorsal hoof wall, and shoe. Each horse was trotted in a straight line at constant speed while marker positions during stance phase...
Kumar R, Prabhu NP, Bhuyan AK.Laser flash photolysis and stopped-flow methods have been used to study the dynamic events in the micro- to millisecond time bin in the refolding of horse ferrocytochrome c in the full range of guanidine hydrochloride concentration at pH 12.8 (+/-0.1), 22 degrees C. Under the absolute refolding condition, the earliest relaxation time of the unfolded protein chain is less than 1 micros. The chain then undergoes diffusive dynamics-mediated contraction and expansion, in which intrapolypeptide ligands make transient contacts with the heme iron, giving rise to two distinct kinetic phases of approxi...
Kobluk CN, Schnurr D, Horney FD, Sumner-Smith G, Willoughby RA, Dekleer V, Hearn TC.High-speed cinematography with computer aided analysis was used to study equine hindlimb kinematics. Eight horses were filmed at the trot or the pace. Filming was done from the side (lateral) and the back (caudal). Parameters measured from the lateral filming included the heights of the tuber coxae and tailhead, protraction and retraction of the hoof and angular changes of the tarsus and stifle. Abduction and adduction of the limb and tarsal height changes were measured from the caudal filming. The maximum and minimum values plus the standard deviations and coefficients of variations are prese...
Santamaría S, Bobbert ME, Back W, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.To determine whether differences in jumping technique among horses are consistent at various ages. Methods: 12 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: Kinematics were recorded during free jumps of horses when they were 6 months old (ie, no jumping experience) and 4 years old (ie, the horses had started their training period to become show jumpers). Mean +/- SD height of the horses was 1.40 +/- 0.04 m at 6 months of age and 1.70 +/- 0.05 m at 4 years of age. Results: Strong correlations were found between values from 6-month-old foals and 4-year-old horses for variables such as peak vertical accelerat...
Symons JE, Hawkins DA, Fyhrie DP, Upadhyaya SK, Stover SM.Race surface mechanics contribute to musculoskeletal injury in racehorses. These mechanics affect ground reaction forces applied to the hoof, and thus limb motions during stance that can contribute to musculoskeletal pathologies. Race surface design has been largely empirical within the industry, with little uniform consensus for injury prevention and performance. Furthermore, race surface installations are too expensive to install experimentally. The objective of this research was to develop and evaluate an integrated racehorse limb and race surface computational model. Combined forward/inver...
Clayton HM, Hampson A, Fraser P, White A, Egenvall A.The purpose of a saddle is to improve the rider's safety, security, and comfort, while distributing the forces exerted by the rider and saddle over a large area of the horse's back without focal pressure points. This study investigates the effects on rider stability of an innovative saddle design that differs from a conventional saddle in having no flaps. Five horses were ridden by their regular rider in their usual saddle and in a flapless saddle. A pressure mat (60 Hz) placed between the saddle and the horse's back was used to determine the position of the center of pressure, which represent...
Jansen MO, van Buiten A, van den Bogert AJ, Schamhardt HC.The in vivo strains of the musculus interosseus medius (suspensory ligament) and its rami extensorii (extensor branches) in the forelimb of the horse were determined from angular changes of the metacarpophalangeal and the distal interphalangeal joints. For this purpose, regression models were fitted to strains and joint angle combinations measured in in vitro limb loading experiments. The in vivo strains were computed from the kinematics of 8 horses at the walk, the trot and the canter. It was found that the extensor branches were strained about 1.0% at hoof impact, which indicates that they p...
Takahashi T, Yoshihara E, Mukai K, Ohmura H, Hiraga A.Although the main cause of injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is assumed to be high intensity loading of the tendon, to date the forces exerted on the SDFT during cantering have never been measured. Objective: To measure the force exerted on the SDFT at walk, trot and canter on a treadmill. Methods: Arthroscopically implantable force probes (AIFP) were implanted in the SDFT of the left and right forelimbs of 8 Thoroughbred horses (480-565 kg). The output of the AIFP was calibrated using the SDFT force calculated by inverse dynamics and an in vitro model of the lower forelim...
