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.
Minetti AE.By refining a previously published model, a simple equation for the estimation of the mechanical internal work during locomotion is presented. The only input variables are the progression speed, the stride frequency and the duty factor, i.e. the fraction of the stride duration at which a foot is in contact with the ground. The inclusion of this last variable, easily measurable, allows to obtain a single equation for both walking and running. The model predictions have been compared with the mechanical internal work experimentally obtained on humans in several conditions: speeds (range 0.8-3.3 ...
Audigié F, Pourcelot P, Degueurce C, Denoix JM, Geiger D, Bortolussi C.To evaluate asymmetry in placement of bilateral skin markers on horses and to determine effect of asymmetric skin marker placement on kinematic variables for trotting horses. Methods: 10 horses for evaluation of asymmetry in marker placement; 1 horse for evaluation of effects on kinematic variables. Methods: Asymmetry in marker placement was assessed by attaching markers to horses and comparing radiographs of left and right limbs. An experimental model was developed to determine effects on kinematic variables; accuracy of the model was validated experimentally. Using kinematic data from a clin...
Bhuyan AK, Udgaonkar JB.The unfolding kinetics of horse cytochrome c in the oxidized state has been studied at 10, 22, and 34 degreesC as a function of guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) concentration. Rapid (millisecond) measurements of far-UV circular dichroism (CD) as well as fluorescence quenching due to tryptophan to heme excitation energy transfer have been used to monitor the unfolding process. At 10 degreesC, the decrease in far-UV CD signal that accompanies unfolding occurs in two phases. The unobservable burst phase is complete within 4 ms, while the slower phase occurs over tens to hundreds of milliseconds. ...
Pourcelot P, Audigié F, Degueurce C, Denoix JM, Geiger D.This study was conducted to evaluate a method for quantifying locomotion symmetry at trot in sound and lame horses. Using a 3D kinematic analysis system, the kinematics of the limb joints of sound and lame horses were recorded. The differences in motion between the left and right homologous joints were then quantified using a symmetry index based on an inter-correlation method. This method was used to calculate the symmetry indices of the vertical displacements and angle-time diagrams of the joints of each horse. In order to evaluate the sensitivity of this method of quantifying the locomotion...
Keg PR, van Weeren PR, Back W, Barneveld A.The influence of the force applied and its period of application on the outcome of the flexion test of the distal forelimb was investigated in a group of eight sound horses. The degree of lameness after the flexion test was scored by a standard clinical classification, and by measuring the angle of maximum fetlock extension by means of the infrared light-based MacReflex gait analysis system. There was a good correlation between the clinical score and this electronically recorded kinematic parameter (r = 0.96). Both the force applied and the period of application affected the outcome of the tes...
Vorstenbosch MA, Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.To study the role of head movements in lame horses. Methods: 11 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: A 2-segment 2-dimensional inverse dynamic model of trotting horses was developed: trunk and head/neck segment joined in a neck joint. Model input consisted of averaged segmental inertial properties and averaged kinematic data, taken from 11 horses, trotting on a treadmill (3.5 m/s) in 3 conditions of induced lameness: sound, mildly lame, and moderately lame. Dynamic and static effects were analyzed. Results: Dynamic effects were found to be considerably larger than static effects. In the moderately...
Galloux P, Barrey E.Thirty horses were filmed with a panning camera operating at 50 frames/s as they jumped over a 1.20 x 1.20 m fence. The markers of 9 joints on the horse and 7 joints on the rider were tracked in 2D with the TrackEye system. The centre of gravity and moment of inertia of each segment were calculated using a geometric algorithm and a cylindric model, respectively. The kinetic moment of each part of the horse was calculated after filtering, and resampling of data. This method showed the relative contribution of each body segment to the body overall rotation during the take-off, jump and landing p...
Johnston C, Drevemo S, Roepstorff L.This study investigated the kinematics and kinetics of the carpus during the stance phase. Five Standardbred horses trotted on a treadmill at 8.9 m/s. The kinematics of the horses were filmed and hoof reaction forces (HRF) were recorded. The carpus was overextended throughout most of the stance. There were 2 periods of overextension, a more rapid period in the beginning of the stance and second directly following the first period. Maximal overextension occurred slightly before the second minimum of the braking horizontal HRF. The metacarpal and antebrachial segments rotated counter-clockwise f...
Galisteo AM, Cano MR, Morales JL, Miró F, Vivo J, Agüera E.The aim of this study was to analyse the biokinematic alterations caused by an induced lameness in the right forelimb of Dutch Warmblood (DWB) horses using a system of computer-aided normal videography. Five mature DWB were recorded with a videocamera (frame rate 1/25) from a lateral view before and after an induced lameness. Before videotaping, passive markers were placed on the skin, over easily identifiable anatomical references to determine the joint angles in the forelimb (always on the flexor side). Lameness was induced using special horseshoes. The lameness was evident at the trot and m...
Degueurce C, Pourcelot P, Audigié F, Denoix JM, Geiger D.The reproducibility of gait variables for sound horses is essential for the interpretation of their modifications by locomotor disorders. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the variability of the limb joint angle patterns in a population of sound horses while they trotted in the conditions of the routine lameness examination (slow trot, just held by hand, on a track, outdoors). The kinematics of 14 French Saddle horses was recorded using a 3-dimensional (3D) kinematic analysis system. Angle-time diagrams were established in the sagittal plane and their intra- and inter-indivi...
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...
Savelberg HH, Buchner HH, Becker CK.The recovery process of the equine locomotor system after desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL-DDFT) was investigated by studying the movement patterns and joint moments in 6 horses before and 10 days and 6 months following surgery. Using a modified CODA-3 system the joint angles and angular velocities of the lower limb were assessed in the operated forelimb as before the operation. Simultaneously ground reaction forces were measured and joint moments calculated. At 10 days and 6 months after the operation the carpal joint started to bend earlier in the sta...
Colborne GR, Lanovaz JL, Sprigings EJ, Schamhardt HC, Clayton HM.A method is described for the estimation of segmental powers and power flow during the stance phase in the equine forelimb, to demonstrate the sources and paths of energy flow through the limb segments. S-VHS video and force platform data were collected for 5 walking trials in a sound Dutch Warmblood horse. Two camera views were combined using direct linear transformation and the resultant sagittal plane positional and angular data used together with the vertical and cranio-caudal ground reaction forces to calculate moments about the ends of the 4 lowermost segments of the forelimb, and the re...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Ooste , Barneveld A, Schamhardt HC.To evaluate the effects of uphill trotting on stride characteristics, 6 well trained Dutch Warmblood horses trotted at 4 m/s on a horizontal and on an inclined (6%) treadmill. This was done under 3 different conditions, unloaded, mounted by an experienced 90 kg rider and loaded with 90 kg of lead, to study whether extra weight provoked more or different alterations than the incline per se. In all 3 test situations (unloaded, mounted and lead-loaded), heart rates were significantly higher on the inclined treadmill than on the horizontal treadmill. Stride duration tended to increase on the incli...
Kai M, Hiraga A, Kubo K, Tokurik M.The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was any difference in the stride characteristics between cantering on a flat or inclined treadmill. Five 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses were cantered on a treadmill at 3 different velocities and at 3 different slopes. The sequence of speeds at each slope was chosen at random and 16 mm cinefilms at 300 frames/s were taken from a lateral view at a distance of 15 m from the treadmill to record the linear and temporal data. On the slope, stride length, stride duration, stance duration and swing duration did not change. However, midstep lengt...
Back W, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.The canter is a 3 beat asymmetrical gait with a difference in timing between left and right limbs. To evaluate intralimb asymmetry at the canter, a group of 24 Dutch Warmbloods was evaluated on a treadmill (7 m/s) using a modified CODA-3 optoelectronic gait analysis system. Thirteen horses cantered in the left lead ('leading limb' group) and 11 in the right lead ('trailing limb' group) during left forelimb recordings, while 11 horses were at the left and 13 were at the right lead during left hindlimb recordings. Kinematic differences between horses from the 'leading limb' and 'trailing limb' g...
Barrey E, Galloux P.The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relationships between jumping technique and dorsoventral acceleration measured at the sternum. Eight saddle horses of various jumping abilities competed on a selective experimental show jumping course including 14 obstacles. An accelerometric belt fastened onto the thorax continuously measured the dorsoventral acceleration during the course. At each jump, 11 locomotor parameters (acceleration peaks, durations and stride frequency) were obtained from the dorsoventral acceleration-time curves. The type of obstacle significantly influenced the hind...
Clayton HM.Six event horses jumped a 1.10 m high table fence 4 times under each of 2 conditions; the rider weight condition involved carrying the weight of the rider and saddle (61 kg), whereas the added weight condition included an additional 18 kg weight cloth. Sagittal view, 60 Hz video recordings were analysed using standard methods. Comparisons between the rider weight and added weight conditions using paired t tests (P<0.05) showed a number of significant differences. In the added weight condition the leading forelimb landed closer to the fence, and there were increases in the maximal extension ...
Clayton HM.The objective was to determine whether collected trot, passage and piaffe could be distinguished as separate gaits on the basis of temporal variables. Sagittal plane, 60 Hz videotapes of 10 finalists in the dressage competitions at the 1992 Olympic Games were analysed to measure the temporal variables in absolute terms and as percentages of stride duration. Classification was based on analysis of variance, a graphical method and discriminant analysis. Stride duration was sufficient to distinguish collected trot from passage and piaffe in all horses. The analysis of variance showed that the mea...
Pourcelot P, Degueurce C, Audigié F, Denoix JM, Geiger D.This study of the locomotion symmetry was undertaken to provide standard symmetry indices of a group of sound horses at the trot. Using a 3D data collection system, the kinematics of the limb joints of 13 clinically nonlame horses were recorded while trotting in the standard conditions of the clinical lameness examination. A kinematic symmetry indice based on an inter-correlation method was defined and applied to the vertical displacement-time and joint angle-time diagrams of the left and right joints of the horses. For each horse, the mean symmetry indice of each joint was calculated using va...
Burns TE, Clayton HM.The objectives were to compare the temporal characteristics of canter pirouette strides with collected canter strides in elite dressage horses, and to determine whether the stride kinematics of the canter pirouettes fulfilled the requirements specified in the Federation Equestre Internationale Rules for Dressage Events. Eleven horses were videotaped (60 fields/s) during the individual medal competition at the 1992 Olympic Games. Temporal variables were extracted from the videotapes using standard methods. Two strides were analysed on each of the left and right leads and these were pooled to gi...
Colborne GR, Lanovaz JL, Sprigings EJ, Schamhardt HC, Clayton HM.A method is described for the estimation of joint moments of force and power in the equine forelimb using S-VHS video and force platform data. Video and force data were collected for 5 walking trials in a sound Dutch Warmblood horse. The sagittal plane positional and angular data were combined with the vertical and cranio-caudal ground reaction forces to calculate net joint moments of force in the sagittal plane across the carpal, fetlock and coffin joints during the stance phase of the forelimb. The mechanical power was calculated as the product of the netjoint moment and the joint's angular ...
Keegan KG, Wilson DJ, Wilson DA, Frankeny RL, Loch WE, Smith B.To determine the effect of local anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves on forelimb kinematics in Quarter Horses with and without navicular disease. Methods: 12 adult Quarter Horses; 5 clinically normal (sound) and 7 with navicular disease. Methods: Kinematic measurements were made on adult horses trotting on a treadmill, before and after palmar digital nerve block (PDNB). Twenty-three displacement, joint angle, and temporal gait measurements of the right forelimb and head were made for 5 strides in each horse. Initial (before local anesthesia) right forelimb measurements were obtained after ...
Clayton HM.The success of a clinical gait laboratory depends on choosing the right equipment, installing it correctly, running calibration checks, and having skilled technical and professional personnel. For kinematic analysis, videographic or optoelectronic systems are the method of choice, with 2-D data being adequate for the majority of equine evaluations. A force plate provides a precise description of the 3-D ground reaction force; transmission of the force through the body tissues is measured using strain gauges attached to the bones and tendons. Accelerometers bonded to the hoof wall provide infor...
Johnston C, Roepstorff L, Drevemo S, Kallings P.Fast trotting Standardbred horses were filmed along a straight on an oval dirt track. Five consecutive stance phases were analysed to describe the planar kinematics of the distal hindlimb. The rapid changes in the geometry of the distal hindlimb that occur during the early stance phase were studied. The hoof segment was initially braked vertically and moved in the direction of the horse. The hoof moved forward on the track surface for more than 20% of the stance time (ST). Two specific deviations in the otherwise smooth course of the fetlock joint angle appeared at 16 and 29% of ST. Tarsal ang...
Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Becker CK.An analysis of joint moments was used to study the biomechanical implications, load redistribution and kinematic pattern following desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL) in adult horses. Recordings of 6 sound horses were made before and 10 days after desmotomy of the AL of the right forelimb at the walk and the trot. Kinematic recordings of the right forelimb and the left distal forelimb were made using the CODA-3 system. Kinetic recordings of the ground reaction forces in both forelimbs were made using a Kistler force plate simultaneously with the kinematic...
Back W, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.In purchase examinations or at studbook selection sales the locomotor apparatus of horses is judged both at walk and trot. To evaluate whether kinematics of the walk are related to the locomotion at the trot, fore and hind limb movements of a group of 24 26-month-old warmbloods were recorded at walk and trot on a treadmill (1.6 and 4 m/s) using a modified CODA-3 gait analysis system. The intralimb coordination patterns at walk and trot were compared, and temporal and spatial variables of these gaits were related. Stride and stance durations (s) were shorter at the trot, while the stance distan...
Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.The kinematic patterns of head and trunk were studied in horses during induced supporting limb lameness to understand the mechanisms horses use to compensate for lameness and to evaluate different symmetry indices for their significance as lameness indicators. Using the locomotion analysis system CODA-3 the kinematics of 11 clinically nonlame Dutch Warmblood horses were recorded while walking (1.6 m/s) and trotting (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. A transient lameness model, evoking pressure induced pain on the hoof sole, was used to induce 3 degrees of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Peak vertical disp...
Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.The kinematic patterns of all limbs of 11 clinically nonlame Dutch Warmblood horses were studied during induced supporting limb lameness to gain insight into the compensation mechanisms horses use to manage lameness and to test kinematic limb variables for their significance as lameness indicators. Using the locomotion analysis system CODA-3, the kinematics of the horses were recorded while walking (1.6 m/s) and trotting (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. A transient lameness model, evoking pressure on the hoof sole, was used to induce 3 degrees of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Joint angle patterns and ...
de Chiara M, Montano C, De Matteis A, Guidi L, Buono F, Auletta L, Del Prete C, Pasolini MP.Subjective evaluation of gait by official endurance veterinarians (OEVs) is used to determine 'fitness-to-compete' in horses participating in endurance competitions. Objective gait analysis systems could aid in quick and verifiable judgements. Objective: To assess the agreement between objective analysis of head and pelvis vertical movement asymmetry performed with a markerless artificial intelligence motion tracking system (AI-MTS) and subjective lameness assessment performed by an accredited FEI OEV to judge horse gaits. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: During three endurance competitions,...
Schampheleer J, Eerdekens A, Joseph W, Martens L, Deruyck M.Automatic horse gait classification offers insights into training intensity, but directsensor attachment to horses raises concerns about discomfort, behavioral disruption, andentanglement risks. To address this, our study leverages rider-centric accelerometers formovement classification. The position of a sensor, sampling frequency, and window size ofsegmented signal data have a major impact on classification accuracy in activity recognition.Yet, there are no studies that have evaluated the effect of all these factors simultaneouslyusing accelerometer data from four distinct rider locations (t...
Duma LA, Begonia MT, Miller B, Jung C, Wood M, Duma BG, Rowson S.The current equestrian helmet standards set minimal requirements for passing helmets, highlighting the need for a rating system that differentiates helmets based on their impact performance. This study's objectives were to compare equestrian helmet impact response kinematics between linear-driven and oblique impact conditions and then to evaluate the effect of incorporating oblique drop tests into a previously established equestrian helmet rating system, Equestrian STAR. Methods: Oblique drop tests were conducted with 45 equestrian helmet models at two impact locations, front boss and rear bos...
Abbasi A, Nouri H, Samadi F.Cryopreservation is a crucial method for the preservation of genetic materials. Nevertheless, this technique can have adverse effects due to cryo-oxidative damage. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the cryo-protective effects of niosomal nanocarriers loaded with artemisinin (NN-Art) on the functional attributes of equine spermatozoa. The parameters examined included sperm motility and kinematics through computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), plasma membrane integrity via the hypoosmotic swelling test, viability using the eosin-nigrosin staining technique, morphology with...
Byström A, Egenvall A, Eisersiö M, Engell MT, Lykken S, Lundesjö Kvart S.Riding relies on embodied and practical knowledge and is predominantly taught during practical lessons. Effective teaching is dependent on relevant instructions and evaluation from the riding teacher or trainer. The aim was to investigate how riding instructions affect horse and rider motion and rein tension during transitions between walk and trot. Two Swedish (S1, S2) and two Norwegian (N1, N2) riding teachers, and five riders per location participated. Each rider rode two horses, 40 lessons total. Videos, horse and rider kinematics and rein tension were recorded. The teachers were interview...
Albishi AM.Horseback riding requires adapting to constant changes in balance conditions, maintaining equilibrium on the horse, and preventing falls. However, differences in balance performance among horseback riders and non-rider-healthy young women in Saudi Arabia have not been explored. This study investigates whether horseback-rider women would perform better on static and dynamic balance tests than non-rider women. Also, the study examined the effect of years of horseback riding on balance performance in the rider group. Twenty healthy young females participated in the study using a convenience sampl...
Li C, Mellbin Y, Krogager J, Polikovsky S, Holmberg M, Ghorbani N, Black MJ, Kjellström H, Zuffi S, Hernlund E.Studies of quadruped animal motion help us to identify diseases, understand behavior and unravel the mechanics behind gaits in animals. The horse is likely the best-studied animal in this aspect, but data capture is challenging and time-consuming. Computer vision techniques improve animal motion extraction, but the development relies on reference datasets, which are scarce, not open-access and often provide data from only a few anatomical landmarks. Addressing this data gap, we introduce PFERD, a video and 3D marker motion dataset from horses using a full-body set-up of densely placed over 100...
Meera B, Fields B, Healy S, Columna L.Equine-assisted services use various aspects of horses, like their movement, warmth, and size, to enhance individuals' overall well-being. Many studies have underscored the positive impact of equine-assisted services on autistic children, affecting areas such as social interaction, communication, engagement, stereotypical behaviors, and motor functions. Given the growing recognition of motor functions as clinical specifiers in autism, it is imperative to specifically investigate how equine-assisted services influence these outcomes. To address this, we conducted a systematic review to synthesi...
Murray R, Fisher M, Fairfax V, MacKechnie-Guire R.The association between rider-saddle interaction and horse kinematics has been little studied. It was hypothesized that differences in a thigh block design would influence (a) rider-saddle interface pressures, (b) rider kinematics, and (c) equine limb/spinal kinematics. Eighteen elite sport horses/riders were trotted using correctly fitted dressage saddles with thigh blocks S (vertical face) and F (deformable face). Contact area, mean, and peak pressure between rider and saddle were determined using an on-saddle pressure mat. Spherical markers allowed for the measurement of horse/rider kinemat...
Keegan KG, Pai PF, Wilson DA.Evaluation of the asymmetry of vertical head movement is used during kinematic evaluation of forelimb lameness in horses. For mild lameness, absolute translational measurements are not sensitive enough to detect small differences in the asymmetry of vertical head movement. Also, conscious movement of the head by the horse, not associated with lameness, interferes with accurate measurement. We describe an improved method of evaluating vertical head movement as a measure of lameness, using an model of induced lameness in 9 horses and a time-domain processing technique of curve-fitting. The techn...
van Gurp M, Schamhardt HC, Hartman W, Crowe A.A dynamic model is developed to describe the swing phase of the hindlimb of a normally walking horse. The limb was represented by four rigid segments constrained to move in a sagittal plane only. The mathematical equations of motion of this four-element pendulum were formulated using Lagrange's theorem. The morphometric parameters from the hindlimb segments of 3 horses were determined using high-speed film analysis. Five muscle groups were incorporated in the model. Muscle activity was derived from earlier EMG measurements. Optimization of muscle moments resulted in a simulated swing movement ...
Holden-Douilly L, Pourcelot P, Chateau H, Falala S, Crevier-Denoix N.This article describes a method that allows estimating, with the 2D version of the direct linear transformation (DLT), the actual 2D coordinates of a point when the latter is not strictly in the calibration plane. Markers placed in vertical line, above, below and in the centre of a horizontal calibration plane were filmed by a moving camera. Without correction, strong errors (up to 64.5%) were noticed for markers out of the calibration plane. After correction, calculated coordinates were consistent with actual values (error < 0.55%). The method was then applied to slip distance measuremen...
Hjertén G, Drevemo S.Compressions in the forelimb of a horse trotting at 3.7 m/s were studied using high-speed cinematography. From a diagram of shortenings it has been concluded that successive loadings in the longitudinal direction from below signify longer impact time and smaller impact forces compared to a theoretically stiff limb. It is proposed that the limb takes up the impact force passively until the onset of loading at the elbow joint, i.e. 30 ms following first contact.
van Weeren PR.Kinematic gait analysis is a rapidly growing field of veterinary research promising to become even more important in coming years. All modern analytical techniques are based on the use of skin markers and are therefore prone to suffering from a biological error caused by the sliding of the skin over the underlying skeletal structures. To investigate this error skin displacement was quantified at 18 relevant sites using techniques designed to ensure simultaneous visualization of skin and underlying bone. Mathematical models for correction of skin displacement were formulated. Application of the...
Clayton HM.The horse's head and neck account for about 10% of body weight, and this, combined with the fact that they are cantilevered in front of the trunk, produces considerable leverage around the joints at the base of the neck. During locomotion, the neck is moved primarily by gravitational and inertial forces controlled by eccentric-concentric cycles of contraction in the topline muscles assisted by energy-saving, stretch-recoil cycles in the nuchal ligament. The functional part of the nuchal ligament is the caudal funicular region and the lamellae to the second cervical vertebra that acts as the po...
King MR.Physiotherapeutic exercises aimed at stimulating motor control, flexibility, and stability are regularly employed in human physical therapy programs. Specifically, the use of such exercises has been shown to reduce both pain and reinjury. Pursuant to the equine patient, several core strengthening exercises and their role in activating deep epaxial musculature to subsequently improve postural motor control and alter thoracolumbar kinematics have been investigated. Both baited and passive exercises offer opportunities to facilitate stretching during dynamic phases and strengthening during static...
Goff LM, McGowan CM, Condie P, Jasiewicz J, van Weeren R.Diagnosis of sacroiliac dysfunction in horses includes manual motion palpation of the equine ilium and sacrum. Motion of the ilium and sacrum during manual force application to the equine pelvis has been measured previously in vitro. The aim of this study was to measure the amount and direction of motion in vivo, including comparison of bone-fixated and skin-mounted inertial sensors. Sensors were skin-mounted over tuber sacrale (TS) and third sacral spinous process of six Thoroughbred horses and later attached via Steinmann pins inserted into the same bony landmarks. Orientations of each TS ...
Preedy DF, Colborne GR.Metabolic and mechanical energy costs of locomotion can be combined to calculate locomotor efficiency, which is the quotient of the mechanical energy and metabolic costs. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the mechanical and metabolic energy costs of locomotion at a range of 7 trotting speeds (2.5 to 6.2 m/s) on a level treadmill. A single, sound Thoroughbred horse was modelled as a system of 15 linked segments incorporating all 4 limbs, head, neck and trunk. The horse performed a continuous incremental exercise test at increasing trotting speeds while VO2 was recorded using a bre...
Murphy J.Showjumping riders regularly employ various schooling strategies to control the horse's jump stride kinematics (JSK). Strategies include plyometric training regimes with fences of different heights and widths set at specific distances. Gymnastic grids teach the horse to jump cleanly. Rapping, once used almost routinely, is no longer in vogue. However, the use of performance enhancing (PE) boots on the distal hind limbs to alter equine JSK has become popular. There are two broad categories of PE boots: weighted and pressure. Some riders use so-called weighted boots on the horses' hind limbs dur...