Topic:Trotting Horses

Additional evidence supports GRM6 p.Thr178Met as a cause of congenital stationary night blindness in three horse breeds.
Veterinary ophthalmology    October 10, 2023   doi: 10.1111/vop.13151
Esdaile E, Knickelbein KE, Donnelly CG, Ferneding M, Motta MJ, Story BD, Avila F, Finno CJ, Gilger BC, Sandmeyer L, Thomasy S, Bellone RR.Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an ocular disorder characterized by nyctalopia. An autosomal recessive missense mutation in glutamate metabotropic receptor 6 (GRM6 c.533C>T, p.(Thr178Met)), called CSNB2, was previously identified in one Tennessee Walking Horse and predicted to reduce binding affinity of the neurotransmitter glutamate, impacting the retinal rod ON-bipolar cell signaling pathway. Thus, the first aim was to identify the allele frequency (AF) of CSNB2 in breeds with reported cases of CSNB and breeds closely related to the Tennessee Walking Horse. The second aim ...
Timing Differences in Stride Cycle Phases in Retired Racehorses Ridden in Rising and Two-Point Seat Positions at Trot on Turf, Artificial and Tarmac Surfaces.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    August 9, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 16 2563 doi: 10.3390/ani13162563
Horan K, Price H, Day P, Mackechnie-Guire R, Pfau T.Injuries to racehorses and their jockeys are not limited to the racetrack and high-speed work. To optimise racehorse-jockey dyads' health, well-being, and safety, it is important to understand their kinematics under the various exercise conditions they are exposed to. This includes trot work on roads, turf and artificial surfaces when accessing gallop tracks and warming up. This study quantified the forelimb hoof kinematics of racehorses trotting over tarmac, turf and artificial surfaces as their jockey adopted rising and two-point seat positions. A convenience sample of six horses was recruit...
Reliability of surface electromyographic (sEMG) measures of equine axial and appendicular muscles during overground trot.
PloS one    July 14, 2023   Volume 18, Issue 7 e0288664 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288664
St George L, Spoormakers TJP, Roy SH, Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM, Richards J, Serra Bragança FM.The reliability of surface electromyography (sEMG) has not been adequately demonstrated in the equine literature and is an essential consideration as a methodology for application in clinical gait analysis. This observational study investigated within-session, intra-subject (stride-to-stride) and inter-subject reliability, and between-session reliability of normalised sEMG activity profiles, from triceps brachii (triceps), latissimus dorsi (latissimus), longissimus dorsi (longissimus), biceps femoris (biceps), superficial gluteal (gluteal) and semitendinosus muscles in n = 8 clinically non-lam...
Osteochondrosis in the central and third tarsal bones of young horses.
Veterinary pathology    July 11, 2023   3009858231185108 doi: 10.1177/03009858231185108
Olstad K, Ekman S, Bju00f6rnsdu00f3ttir S, Fjordbakk CT, Hansson K, Sigurdsson SF, Ley CJ.Recently, the central and third tarsal bones of 23 equine fetuses and foals were examined using micro-computed tomography. Radiological changes, including incomplete ossification and focal ossification defects interpreted as osteochondrosis, were detected in 16 of 23 cases. The geometry of the osteochondrosis defects suggested they were the result of vascular failure, but this requires histological confirmation. The study aim was to examine central and third tarsal bones from the 16 cases and to describe the tissues present, cartilage canals, and lesions, including suspected osteochondrosis le...
Saddle Thigh Block Design Can Influence Rider and Horse Biomechanics.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    June 27, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 13 doi: 10.3390/ani13132127
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...
Effect of diet composition on glandular gastric disease in horses.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    June 1, 2023   Volume 37, Issue 4 1528-1536 doi: 10.1111/jvim.16747
Julliand S, Buttet M, Hermange T, Hillon P, Julliand V.Nutritional factors are suggested to influence the incidence and severity of glandular gastric disease (GGD) in horses. Objective: To retrospectively assess whether dietary fermentable carbohydrates increase the severity of GGD and to prospectively evaluate whether the partial substitution of concentrates by dehydrated alfalfa would decrease GGD severity scores. Methods: In total, 82 trotters from 4 training centers exercised ≥5 days/week. Methods: Multicenter retrospective observational study, and prospective 2-arm randomized trial. Glandular mucosae were observed by gastroscopy and score...
Back motion in unridden horses in walk, trot and canter on a circle.
Veterinary research communications    May 2, 2023   doi: 10.1007/s11259-023-10132-y
Egenvall A, Engstru00f6m H, Bystru00f6m A.Equine back function is of concern to riders, as well as to veterinarians and physiotherapists; these groups may benefit from knowledge about spinal motion on the circle. This descriptive and comparative study aimed to quantify equine neck, back and pelvic motion in walk, trot and canter on a 9 m circle. Sixteen healthy horses in training, of varying breed and conformation, were measured using optical motion capture (150 Hz), with optical markers on the poll, withers, T15, tubera coxae and lumbosacral joint. Cervicothoracic and thoracolumbar flexion-extension and lateral bending, and pelvic ...
Prevalence of vertical movement asymmetries at trot in Standardbred and Swedish Warmblood foals.
PloS one    April 6, 2023   Volume 18, Issue 4 e0284105 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284105
Zetterberg E, Leclercq A, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Haubro Andersen P, Hernlund E, Rhodin M.Many horses, just before and during their athletic career, show vertical movement asymmetries, to the same degree as clinically lame horses. It is unknown whether these asymmetries are caused by pain or have alternative explanations, such as inherent biological variation. In the latter case, movement asymmetries would be expected to be present at a very young age. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of movement asymmetries in foals. Motion analysis, using an inertial measurement unit-based system (Equinosis), was performed on 54 foals (31 Swedish Warmbloods, 23 Standardbreds) during...
Fibre Composition and Maturity of Forage-Based Diets Affects the Fluid Balance, Faecal Water-Holding Capacity and Microbial Ecosystem in French Trotters.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    January 17, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 3 328 doi: 10.3390/ani13030328
Muhonen S, Julliand V.Racing events challenge the fluid balance of athletic horses. The equine large intestine functions as a fluid reservoir, since the properties of dietary forage fibre affect the digesta water content and the milieu of this ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the effect of grass maturity and legume forage on the faecal water-holding capacity (WHC) and microbial ecosystem, and the fluid balance and body weight (BW) of French trotters in race training. Six geldings were offered three diets with different fibre compositions: concentrate and late-harvested mature grass haylage (35:65 energy r...
Adaptations in equine axial movement and muscle activity occur during induced fore- and hindlimb lameness: A kinematic and electromyographic evaluation during in-hand trot.
Equine veterinary journal    December 14, 2022   doi: 10.1111/evj.13906
Spoormakers TJP, St George L, Smit IH, Hobbs SJ, Brommer H, Clayton HM, Roy SH, Richards J, Serra Braganu00e7a FM.The inter-relationship between equine thoracolumbar motion and muscle activation during normal locomotion and lameness is poorly understood. Objective: To compare thoracolumbar and pelvic kinematics and longissimus dorsi (longissimus) activity of trotting horses between baseline and induced forelimb (iFL) and hindlimb (iHL) lameness. Methods: Controlled experimental cross-over study. Methods: Three-dimensional kinematic data from the thoracolumbar vertebrae and pelvis, and bilateral surface electromyography (sEMG) data from longissimus at T14 and L1, were collected synchronously from clinicall...
Investigation of Thresholds for Asymmetry Indices to Represent the Visual Assessment of Single Limb Lameness by Expert Veterinarians on Horses Trotting in a Straight Line.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    December 11, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 24 3498 doi: 10.3390/ani12243498
Macaire C, Hanne-Poujade S, De Azevedo E, Denoix JM, Coudry V, Jacquet S, Bertoni L, Tallaj A, Audigiu00e9 F, Hatrisse C, Hu00e9bert C, Martin P....Defining whether a gait asymmetry should be considered as lameness is challenging. Gait analysis systems now provide relatively accurate objective data, but their interpretation remains complex. Thresholds for discriminating between horses that are visually assessed as being lame or sound, as well as thresholds for locating the lame limb with precise sensitivity and specificity are essential for accurate interpretation of asymmetry measures. The goal of this study was to establish the thresholds of asymmetry indices having the best sensitivity and specificity to represent the visual single-lim...
A Pilot Study on the Inter-Operator Reproducibility of a Wireless Sensors-Based System for Quantifying Gait Asymmetries in Horses.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)    December 6, 2022   Volume 22, Issue 23 9533 doi: 10.3390/s22239533
Timmerman I, Macaire C, Hanne-Poujade S, Bertoni L, Martin P, Marin F, Chateau H.Repeatability and reproducibility of any measuring system must be evaluated to assess possible limitations for its use. The objective of this study was to establish the repeatability and the inter-operator reproducibility of a sensors-based system (EQUISYM) for quantifying gait asymmetries in horses.. Seven wireless IMUs were placed on the head, the withers, the pelvis, and the 4 cannon bones on three horses, by four different operators, four times on each horse, which led to a total of 48 repetitions randomly assigned. Data were collected along three consecutive days and analysed to calculate...
Timing of Vertical Head, Withers and Pelvis Movements Relative to the Footfalls in Different Equine Gaits and Breeds.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 7, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 21 3053 doi: 10.3390/ani12213053
Rhodin M, Smit IH, Persson-Sjodin E, Pfau T, Gunnarsson V, Bju00f6rnsdu00f3ttir S, Zetterberg E, Clayton HM, Hobbs SJ, Serra Braganu00e7a F....Knowledge of vertical motion patterns of the axial body segments is a prerequisite for the development of algorithms used in automated detection of lameness. To date, the focus has been on the trot. This study investigates the temporal synchronization between vertical motion of the axial body segments with limb kinematic events in walk and trot across three popular types of sport horses (19 Warmbloods, 23 Iberians, 26 Icelandics) that are known to have different stride kinematics, and it presents novel data describing vertical motion of the axial body segments in tölting and pacing Icelandic ...
Rein tension in harness trotters during on-track exercise.
Frontiers in veterinary science    October 11, 2022   Volume 9 987852 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.987852
Egenvall A, Bystru00f6m A, Pu00f6kelmann M, Connysson M, Kienapfel-Henseleit K, Karlsteen M, McGreevy P, Hartmann E.Horseracing is under public scrutiny with increasing demands to safeguard horse welfare. It is accepted that, as a result of bit pressure and/or equipment, mouth lesions accompany many types of horse use, including racing. However, there are currently no data available on the range of bit pressures in driven trotters. Our aim was to investigate whether rein tension (RT, proxy for bit pressures) differs among gaits, between tempo within gait, between horses and drivers, and between left/right reins. Standardbreds ( = 9), driven by experienced drivers ( = 11), performed exercise tests on a racet...
Bilateral Change in Vertical Hoof Force Distribution in Horses with Unilateral Forelimb Lameness before and after Successful Diagnostic Anaesthesia.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 19, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 18 2485 doi: 10.3390/ani12182485
Hoffmann JR, Geburek F, Hagen J, Bu00fcttner K, Cruz AM, Ru00f6cken M.Kinetic examinations of horses with induced lameness as well as the effect of perineural anaesthesia in sound horses have shown promise, but clinical studies regarding the effect of diagnostic anaesthesia during the different stance phases are rare. Fourteen horses with unilateral forelimb lameness were examined with the Hoof™ System during trot to assess vertical force distribution (in kg) affecting both front hooves before and after diagnostic anaesthesia during landing, midstance, and breakover. For statistical analysis, a covariance analysis with repeated measurements regarding the limb ...
Fore-Aft Asymmetry Improves the Stability of Trotting in the Transverse Plane: A Modeling Study.
Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology    June 3, 2022   Volume 10 807777 doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.807777
Adachi M, Aoi S, Kamimura T, Tsuchiya K, Matsuno F.Quadrupedal mammals have fore-aft asymmetry in their body structure, which affects their walking and running dynamics. However, the effects of asymmetry, particularly in the transverse plane, remain largely unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of fore-aft asymmetry on quadrupedal trotting in the transverse plane from a dynamic viewpoint using a simple model, which consists of two rigid bodies connected by a torsional joint with a torsional spring and four spring legs. Specifically, we introduced fore-aft asymmetry into the model by changing the physical parameters between the fore a...
Electromyography of the Multifidus Muscle in Horses Trotting During Therapeutic Exercises.
Frontiers in veterinary science    May 27, 2022   Volume 9 844776 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.844776
Ursini T, Shaw K, Levine D, Richards J, Adair HS.Thoracolumbar pain has been identified in both human and equine patients. Rehabilitation and conditioning programs have focused specifically on improving trunk and abdominal muscle function (1-5). Equine exercise programs routinely incorporate ground poles and training devices for the similar goals of increasing spinal and core stability and strength (6-8). The multifidus muscle has been an area of focus due to atrophy associated with disease (9). To date, there have been no reports on the activity of the multifidus muscle in horses in relation to therapeutic exercises. Our objectives were to ...
Modelling fore- and hindlimb peak vertical force differences in trotting horses using upper body kinematic asymmetry variables.
Journal of biomechanics    April 15, 2022   Volume 137 111097 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111097
Roepstorff C, Imogen Gmel A, Arpagaus S, Manuel Serra Braganu00e7a F, Hernlund E, Roepstorff L, Rhodin M, Andreas Weishaupt M.Differences in peak vertical ground reaction forces (dFz) between contralateral forelimbs and hindlimbs are considered the gold standard for quantifying weight-bearing lameness. However, measuring kinematics for the same purpose is more common and practical. Vertical movement asymmetries (VMA) of the horse's upper body have previously been correlated to fore- and hindlimb lameness. But the combined response of head, withers and pelvis VMA to fore- and hindlimb dFz has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Deriving the kinetic responses from kinematics would help the interpretation and understa...
Gait quality scoring data of Franches-Montagnes stallions at walk and trot on a treadmill by experts of the breed and their reliability.
Data in brief    April 1, 2022   Volume 42 108123 doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108123
Gmel AI, Gmel G, Weishaupt MA, Neuditschko M.This article presents the data obtained from the scoring of 24 stallions of the Franches-Montagnes (FM) horse breed by six experts of this breed. The experts scored six traits at walk and eight at trot from the video recordings of these stallions walking and trotting on a treadmill during an incremental speed test. The scores were given on a scale of one to nine. All experts scored the same videos twice (two scoring tests) with a time interval of two years, and without feedback from the first scoring. Video sequences were presented in a different order between first and second scoring. The int...
Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    February 11, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 4 438 doi: 10.3390/ani12040438
Lindahl C, Bergman Bruhn u00c5, Andersson IM.The Swedish equine sector is considered a high-risk work environment, with relatively high injury rates and high severity of injuries. General safety research has identified a correlation between the safety performance and safety culture, but little is known about the intricacies of the safety culture in the Swedish equine sector, especially concerning managers' and employees' perceptions of their work environment. The safety climate assessment is recognised as an effective tool for identifying potential problems in the workplace, thus enhancing safety behaviour and decreasing the frequency an...
Stance Phase Detection by Inertial Measurement Unit Placed on the Metacarpus of Horses Trotting on Hard and Soft Straight Lines and Circles.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)    January 18, 2022   Volume 22, Issue 3 703 doi: 10.3390/s22030703
Hatrisse C, Macaire C, Sapone M, Hebert C, Hanne-Poujade S, De Azevedo E, Marin F, Martin P, Chateau H.The development of on-board technologies has enabled the development of quantification systems to monitor equine locomotion parameters. Their relevance among others relies on their ability to determine specific locomotor events such as foot-on and heel-off events. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of different methods for an automatic gait events detection from inertial measurement units (IMUs). IMUs were positioned on the cannon bone, hooves, and withers of seven horses trotting on hard and soft straight lines and circles. Longitudinal acceleration and angular velocity a...
Robustness of five different visual assessment methods for the evaluation of hindlimb lameness based on tubera coxarum movement in horses at the trot on a straight line.
Equine veterinary journal    December 13, 2021   Volume 54, Issue 6 1103-1113 doi: 10.1111/evj.13531
Starke SD, May SA.The evaluation of hindlimb lameness remains a major challenge in everyday clinical practice. In the absence of clear guidelines, veterinarians use different visual assessment methods for this task whose robustness is unknown. Objective: Determination of the robustness of five visual hindlimb lameness assessment methods based on the comparison of left and right tuber coxae movement. Methods: Validated mathematical hindlimb lameness model based on experimental data from the literature. Methods: Vertical movement of left (LTC) and right (RTC) tuber coxae was simulated for the range of common hind...
Application of kinesiology taping to equine abdominal musculature in a tension frame for muscle facilitation increases longitudinal activity at the trot.
Equine veterinary journal    November 11, 2021   Volume 54, Issue 5 973-978 doi: 10.1111/evj.13533
Biau S, Burgaud I.Kinesiology taping (KT) has been used on human subjects for many years. More recently, KT has been used in sport horses. The physiological mechanisms involved remain unclear and its benefits are controversial. Objective: To investigate the effects of application of kinesiology taping to abdominal muscles on locomotor parameters before and after lungeing exercise in horses. Methods: Cross-over study. Methods: Eleven horses were tested twice, once with an application of KT without tension on abdominal muscles (condition 1) and once with a facilitation application of KT on abdominal muscles (cond...
Rider Skill Affects Time and Frequency Domain Postural Variables When Performing Shoulder-in.
Journal of equine veterinary science    November 6, 2021   Volume 109 103805 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103805
Baxter J, Hobbs SJ, Alexander J, George LS, Sinclair J, Chohan A, Clayton HM.In equestrian sports the novice rider learns first to follow the movements of the horse's back and then how to influence the horse's performance. One of the rider's challenges is to overcome inherent horse and/or rider asymmetry patterns when riding in straight lines, mirroring the movements on the left, and right sides when turning. This study compares the performance of novice and advanced riders when riding in sitting trot on straight lines and when riding shoulder-in to the left and right sides. Eight novice and eight advanced horse-rider combinations performed sitting trot in a straight l...
Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies in a silver coat Missouri Fox Trotter stallion.
Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe G, Grosstiere/Nutztiere    October 19, 2021   Volume 49, Issue 5 350-354 doi: 10.1055/a-1581-4810
Herb VM, Zehetner V, Blohm KO.This is the first description of Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA) in a silver coat Missouri Fox Trotter determined to be heterozygous for the missense mutation associated with MCOA and a silver coat in other breeds. The stallion was treated for meningoencephalitis and bilateral uveitis of unknown origin. A complete ophthalmic examination and ocular ultrasonography were performed. As an incidental finding, the patient exhibited bilateral cystic lesions restricted to the temporal anterior uvea consistent with the Cyst phenotype and was genotyped heterozygous for the mutation. Additi...
Musculoskeletal injuries in Standardbred racehorses on Prince Edward Island.
The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne    September 4, 2021   Volume 62, Issue 9 987-993 
Rouette J, Cockram MS, Sanchez J, MacMillan KM.A study of musculoskeletal injuries in Standardbred racehorses on Prince Edward Island was conducted to determine the incidence and risk factors for injury. Monthly information was collected from 10 trainers and 153 Standardbred horses over a 12-month period. Seventeen new injuries were identified in pacers, representing a horse level incidence risk of 23% and an incidence rate of injury of 2.19 per horse-month at risk. Forty-one percent of the injuries occurred during a race, 53% during training and 6% during jogging. Fourteen horses had experienced a previous injury and 3 of these horses exp...
Continuous Monitoring of the Thermoregulatory Response in Endurance Horses and Trotter Horses During Field Exercise: Baselining for Future Hot Weather Studies.
Frontiers in physiology    August 26, 2021   Volume 12 708737 doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.708737
Verdegaal EJMM, Howarth GS, McWhorter TJ, Boshuizen B, Franklin SH, Vidal Moreno de Vega C, Jonas SE, Folwell LE, Delesalle CJG.Establishing proper policies regarding the recognition and prevention of equine heat stress becomes increasingly important, especially in the face of global warming. To assist this, a detailed view of the variability of equine thermoregulation during field exercise and recovery is essential. 13 endurance horses and 12 trotter horses were equipped with continuous monitoring devices [gastrointestinal (GI) pill, heartrate (HR) monitor, and global positioning system] and monitored under cool weather conditions during four endurance rides over a total of 80 km (40 km loops) and intense trotter trac...
Effect of Speed and Surface Type on Individual Rein and Combined Left-Right Circle Movement Asymmetry in Horses on the Lunge.
Frontiers in veterinary science    July 12, 2021   Volume 8 692031 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.692031
Pfau T, Persson-Sjodin E, Gardner H, Orssten O, Hernlund E, Rhodin M.Differences in movement asymmetry between surfaces and with increasing speed increase the complexity of incorporating gait analysis measurements from lunging into clinical decision making. This observational study sets out to quantify by means of quantitative gait analysis the influence of surface and speed on individual-rein movement asymmetry measurements and their averages across reins (average-rein measurements). Head, withers, and pelvic movement asymmetry was quantified in 27 horses, identified previously as presenting with considerable movement asymmetries on the straight, during trot i...
Exercise-Associated Sudden Death in Finnish Standardbred and Coldblooded Trotters – A Case Series With Pedigree Analysis.
Journal of equine veterinary science    June 21, 2021   Volume 104 103694 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103694
Trachsel DS, Calloe K, Mykku00e4nen AK, Raistakka P, Anttila M, Fredholm M, Tala M, Lamminpu00e4u00e4 K, Klaerke DA, Buhl R.Exercise-associated sudden deaths (EASDs) are deaths occurring unexpectedly during or immediately after exercise. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one cause of EASD. Cardiac arrhythmias caused by genetic variants have been linked to SCD in humans. We hypothesize that genetic variants may be associated with SCD in animals, including horses. Genetic variants are transmitted to offspring and their frequency might increase within a family. Therefore, the frequency of such variants might increase with the inbreeding factor. Higher inbreeding could have a negative impact on racing performance. Pedigree...
Smartphone-Based Pelvic Movement Asymmetry Measures for Clinical Decision Making in Equine Lameness Assessment.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    June 3, 2021   Volume 11, Issue 6 1665 doi: 10.3390/ani11061665
Marunova E, Dod L, Witte S, Pfau T.Visual evaluation of hindlimb lameness in the horse is challenging. Objective measurements, simultaneous to visual assessment, are used increasingly to aid clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of pelvic movement asymmetry with lameness scores (UK scale 0-10) of one experienced veterinarian. Absolute values of pelvic asymmetry measures, quantifying differences between vertical minima (AbPDMin), maxima (AbPDMax) and upward movement amplitudes (AbPDUp), were recorded during straight-line trot with a smartphone attached to the sacrum ( = 301 horses). O...
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