Comparison of limb loading and movement of Icelandic horses while tölting and trotting at equal speeds.

The study examines and compares the gait mechanics and limb loading of Icelandic horses when “tölting” and trotting at equal speeds, to analyze their possible effects on the animals’ orthopedic health. The major finding suggests that high forelimb movement and higher head-neck position during a tölt could potentially have an adverse effect on the horse’s orthopedic health due to the increased limb strain and impulsive force, indicating a need for further detailed investigations.

Research Methodology

• The study utilized 12 orthopedically normal Icelandic horses.
• This research used kinetic and kinematic gait variables, which were recorded simultaneously as each horse performed a tölt and a trot on an instrumented treadmill at designated speeds.
• The study then tested the differences between these two gaits using a 1-factor repeated-measures ANOVA approach.

Research Findings

• The study concluded that horses demonstrated a higher stride rate and lower stride impulses during a tölt as compared to a trot.
• For forelimbs during a tölt, it was observed that a quicker stance duration resulted in a higher peak vertical force. Conversely, for hind limbs, an elongated stance duration resulted in the lowering of peak vertical force.
• A tölt characterized by a higher head-neck position did not cause a weight shift to the hind limbs; however, a higher forehoof flight arc and lower proretraction movement were notable observations.
• Stance durations for forelimbs were quicker than those for hind limbs during a tölt, while the inverse was found during a trotting gait.
• Minimal height of each horse’s trunk at the Fz(peak) point of their respective limbs suggested a spring-like mechanism for all limbs during a tölt.
• Stride-to-stride limb timing irregularities were more significant during a tölt as compared to a trot.
• Energy estimations indicated that tölt at the measured speeds was less energetically efficient than trotting.

Conclusions

• This research found that high forelimb action in Icelandic horses, along with a higher head-neck position during a tölt, were coupled with restricted limb proretraction, a higher peak vertical force, and a quicker force onset than during a trot.
• These differences potentially indicate the need for further detailed investigations into how these differences can impact the orthopedic health of horses, particularly Icelandic horses.