Biomechanical analysis of hoof landing and stride parameters in harness trotter horses running on different tracks of a sand beach (from wet to dry) and on an asphalt road.
Abstract: Sandy beaches are often considered good training surfaces for trotter horses. However, their biomechanical effects on locomotion are insufficiently documented. Events at hoof impact have mostly been studied under laboratory conditions with accelerometers, but there is lack of data (acceleration, force, movement) on events occurring under every day practical conditions in the field. Objective: To investigate hoof landing and stride parameters on different tracks (from wet to dry) of a sand beach and on an asphalt road. Methods: The right front hoof of 4 trotter horses was equipped with a triaxial accelerometer and a dynamometric horseshoe. Acceleration and force recordings (10 kHz) were synchronised with a high speed movie (600 Hz). Horses were driven on a sand beach where 3 tracks of decreasing water content had been delimited (from the sea to the shore): firm wet sand (FWS), deep wet sand (DWS) and deep dry sand (DDS). Firm wet sand and DWS were compared at 25 km/h and DDS compared to an asphalt road at 15 km/h. Recordings (10 strides) were randomly repeated 3 times. Statistical differences were tested using a GLM procedure (P < 0.05). Results: Main significant results were 1) a decrease in the amplitude of the vertical deceleration (and force) of the hoof during impact on a softer surface (about 59% between DWS and FWS and 95% between DDS and asphalt), 2) a decrease in the longitudinal braking deceleration (and force) on softer grounds (50% for DWS vs. FWS and 55% for DDS vs. asphalt), 3) a decrease in the stride length and an increase in the stride frequency on a softer surface. Conclusions: Drier sand surfaces reduce shock and impact forces during landing. For daily training, it should, however, be realised that improved damping characteristics are associated with a shorter stride length and a higher stride frequency.
© 2010 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2011-05-27 PubMed ID: 21059050DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00277.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research investigates the effects of different track surfaces (varying from wet to dry sand, and asphalt) on the hoof landing and stride patterns in harness trotter horses; it concludes that drier, softer sand surfaces minimize shock and impact forces during landing, but correspond with a shorter stride length and higher stride frequency.
Methods
- The research was conducted with the right front hoof of four trotter horses, each fitted with a triaxial accelerometer and a dynamometric horseshoe. These devices were used to record acceleration and force data synchronously with a high-speed movie.
- The horses were driven along three distinct tracks on a beach, each differing in water content – from firm wet sand (FWS) and deep wet sand (DWS), to deep dry sand (DDS). Firm wet sand and DWS were assessed at a trotting speed of 25 km/h, while DDS was compared to trotting on an asphalt road at 15km/h.
- The experiment was repeated three times for each horse, with each specific condition being analyzed over ten trotting strides.
- Statistical differences were evaluated using a GLM (General Linear Model) procedure.
Results
- There was a significant reduction in the magnitude of vertical deceleration (and associated force) of the hoof upon impact on softer surfaces. The decrease was approximately 59% between deep wet sand (DWS) and firm wet sand (FWS), and about 95% between deep dry sand (DDS) and asphalt.
- Longitudinal braking deceleration (and force) also decreased on softer surfaces; 50% for DWS versus FWS, and 55% for DDS versus asphalt.
- Stride length decreased while stride frequency increased when the horses ran on softer surfaces.
Conclusion
- The research concluded that softer (drier sand) surfaces reduce the shock and impact forces on horses during landing. However, these damping characteristics are also linked with a shorter stride length and increased stride frequency, which training regimes need to take into account.
Cite This Article
APA
Chateau H, Holden L, Robin D, Falala S, Pourcelot P, Estoup P, Denoix JM, Crevier-Denoix N.
(2011).
Biomechanical analysis of hoof landing and stride parameters in harness trotter horses running on different tracks of a sand beach (from wet to dry) and on an asphalt road.
Equine Vet J Suppl(38), 488-495.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00277.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- USC INRA-ENVA 957 de Biomécanique et Pathologie Locomotrice du Cheval, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 7 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France. hchateau@vet-alfort.fr
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Female
- Gait / physiology
- Hoof and Claw / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Locomotion / physiology
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Silicon Dioxide
- Water
Citations
This article has been cited 15 times.- Horan K, Price H, Day P, Mackechnie-Guire R, Pfau T. 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 (Basel) 2023 Aug 9;13(16).
- Rohlf CM, Garcia TC, Marsh LJ, Acutt EV, le Jeune SS, Stover SM. Effects of Jumping Phase, Leading Limb, and Arena Surface Type on Forelimb Hoof Movement.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jun 27;13(13).
- Parmentier JIM, Bosch S, van der Zwaag BJ, Weishaupt MA, Gmel AI, Havinga PJM, van Weeren PR, Braganca FMS. Prediction of continuous and discrete kinetic parameters in horses from inertial measurement units data using recurrent artificial neural networks.. Sci Rep 2023 Jan 13;13(1):740.
- Rhodin M, Smit IH, Persson-Sjodin E, Pfau T, Gunnarsson V, Björnsdóttir S, Zetterberg E, Clayton HM, Hobbs SJ, Serra Bragança F, Hernlund E. Timing of Vertical Head, Withers and Pelvis Movements Relative to the Footfalls in Different Equine Gaits and Breeds.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 7;12(21).
- Horan K, Coburn J, Kourdache K, Day P, Carnall H, Brinkley L, Harborne D, Hammond L, Peterson M, Millard S, Pfau T. Hoof Impact and Foot-Off Accelerations in Galloping Thoroughbred Racehorses Trialling Eight Shoe-Surface Combinations.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Aug 23;12(17).
- Pfau T, Bolt DM, Fiske-Jackson A, Gerdes C, Hoenecke K, Lynch L, Perrier M, Smith RKW. Linear Discriminant Analysis for Investigating Differences in Upper Body Movement Symmetry in Horses before/after Diagnostic Analgesia in Relation to Expert Judgement.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 17;12(6).
- Horan K, Kourdache K, Coburn J, Day P, Carnall H, Harborne D, Brinkley L, Hammond L, Millard S, Lancaster B, Pfau T. The effect of horseshoes and surfaces on horse and jockey centre of mass displacements at gallop.. PLoS One 2021;16(11):e0257820.
- Fikes KK, Coverdale JA, Leatherwood JL, Campbell JM, Welsh TH Jr, Hartz CJ, Goehring M, Millican AA, Bradbery AN, Wickersham TA. Effect of bioactive proteins on gait kinematics and systemic inflammatory markers in mature horses.. Transl Anim Sci 2021 Jan;5(1):txab017.
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- Moore LV, Zsoldos RR, Licka TF. Trot Accelerations of Equine Front and Hind Hooves Shod with Polyurethane Composite Shoes and Steel Shoes on Asphalt.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Dec 11;9(12).
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- Al-Agele R, Paul E, Taylor S, Watson C, Sturrock C, Drakopoulos M, Atwood RC, Rutland CS, Menzies-Gow N, Knowles E, Elliott J, Harris P, Rauch C. Physics of animal health: on the mechano-biology of hoof growth and form.. J R Soc Interface 2019 Jun 28;16(155):20190214.
- Starke SD, Clayton HM. A universal approach to determine footfall timings from kinematics of a single foot marker in hoofed animals.. PeerJ 2015;3:e783.
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