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BMC veterinary research2026; 22(1); 559; doi: 10.1186/s12917-026-05804-1

Differential rotational and translational movements along the thoraco-lumbo-sacral spine of load and non-load pulling military and police horses walking and trotting on hard and soft surfaces.

Abstract: To improve detection of equine back-related disorders, it is important to establish how movement dynamics in horses' thoraco-lumbo-sacral spine are normally affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This cross-sectional study aimed to quantify how discipline, gait, and surface impact differential rotational and translational movements along the backs of 107 horses from the military and police forces. The horses were walked and trotted in-hand in a straight-line over hard and soft surfaces. During the exercises, nine inertial sensors (XSens MTw) were mounted to the poll, withers, thoracic vertebrae-13 (T13) and 18 (T18), lumbar vertebra-3 (L3), sacrum (between tubera sacrale), left and right tubera coxae, and caudal sacrum ('tail'). Linear mixed models assessed whether horse discipline (load pulling or non-load pulling), surface (soft or hard), age, or stride time influenced rotational and translational range of motion differences between adjacent sensors at either walk or trot (significance at p < 0.05). When compared to non-load pullers, it was apparent that the load pullers had reductions in differential rotational movements (0.5-3.1º in walk, p ≤ 0.039; and 0.5-2.3º in trot, p ≤ 0.049) and reductions in differential cranio-caudal, medio-lateral and dorso-ventral translations (2.2-15.0 mm in walk, p ≤ 0.039; and 1.2-7.6 mm, p ≤ 0.045 in trot), plus an increase in differential cranio-caudal translation at the Poll-Withers (12.8 mm in trot, p < 0.001). Soft surfaces increased differential rotational movements (0.1-1.2º in walk, p ≤ 0.048; and 0.2-2.9º in trot, p ≤ 0.007) and differential translational movements (1.4-16.3 mm in walk, p ≤ 0.002; and 0.5-2 mm in trot, p ≤ 0.007) in most regions of the thoraco-lumbo-sacral spine compared to hard surfaces. The amplitude of differential rotational and translational movements did not show systematic patterns with stride time and age. Further work is needed to understand whether the observed changes to differential rotational and translational movements along the equine thoraco-lumbo-sacral spine, imposed by working discipline and surface conditions, impact long-term equine health, well-being, or susceptibility to injury. This work will lay foundations for the development of an equine back dynamics reference framework, to which individual data may be compared.
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Publication Date: 2026-09-08 PubMed ID: 42791576DOI: 10.1186/s12917-026-05804-1Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This study investigated how different factors such as horse discipline (load pulling or non-load pulling), gait (walk or trot), and surface type (hard or soft) affect the rotational and translational movements along the thoraco-lumbo-sacral spine of military and police horses.
  • The aim was to better understand normal spine movement dynamics to improve detection of back-related disorders in horses.

Study Objectives and Importance

  • To quantify differential rotational and translational movements between adjacent spinal segments in horses during walking and trotting.
  • To examine how intrinsic factors (discipline of horse, age, stride time) and extrinsic factors (surface hardness) influence spinal movement.
  • To provide baseline data that can be used to develop a reference framework for assessing equine back health.

Methods

  • Subjects: 107 horses from military and police forces, divided into load pulling and non-load pulling disciplines.
  • Movement evaluation: Horses were walked and trotted in-hand over straight lines on both hard and soft surfaces.
  • Sensors: Nine inertial measurement units (XSens MTw) were positioned on key anatomical landmarks — poll, withers, specific thoracic (T13, T18) and lumbar (L3) vertebrae, sacrum, left and right tubera coxae, and the tail.
  • Data Acquisition: The sensors recorded rotational (angular) and translational (linear) range of motion differences between adjacent sensors, reflecting differential spinal movement.
  • Statistical analysis: Linear mixed models analyzed effects of discipline, surface, age, and stride time on these spinal movements separately for walk and trot gaits. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Key Findings

  • Impact of Discipline:
    • Load pulling horses showed reduced differential rotational movements by 0.5–3.1 degrees at walk and 0.5–2.3 degrees at trot compared to non-load pullers.
    • They also exhibited reductions in translational movements by 2.2–15.0 mm at walk and 1.2–7.6 mm at trot in cranio-caudal (front to back), medio-lateral (side to side), and dorso-ventral (up and down) directions.
    • An exception was a significant increase in cranio-caudal translation at the Poll-Withers region (12.8 mm increase in trot) in load pullers.
  • Effect of Surface Type:
    • Soft surfaces caused increases in differential rotational movements by 0.1–1.2 degrees (walk) and 0.2–2.9 degrees (trot) across most thoraco-lumbo-sacral regions.
    • Similarly, translational movements increased by 1.4–16.3 mm (walk) and 0.5–2 mm (trot) on soft versus hard surfaces.
  • Effect of Age and Stride Time:
    • There were no systematic patterns or significant relationships between the amplitude of differential movements and age or stride time.

Interpretation and Significance

  • Load pulling activity appears to restrict spine segmental movements, which may be related to adaptation to physical workload or potentially early signs of spinal stress.
  • Soft surfaces allow for greater spinal mobility, possibly due to increased cushioning that permits more movement or requires different stabilization strategies.
  • The absence of clear patterns with age and stride time suggests the main influencers are discipline and surface rather than these general factors.
  • Understanding normal movement variations aids in detecting abnormal patterns linked to back pain or injury.

Future Directions

  • Further research is needed to determine if and how the identified changes in spinal movements impact the long-term health, well-being, or injury risk in working horses.
  • Development of a comprehensive equine back dynamics reference framework based on this data will help veterinarians and researchers compare individual horse data for diagnostics or monitoring treatment outcomes.

Cite This Article

APA
Horan K, Warner SE, Day P, Housby-Skeggs N, Lane-Ley E, Telfer H, Berner D. (2026). Differential rotational and translational movements along the thoraco-lumbo-sacral spine of load and non-load pulling military and police horses walking and trotting on hard and soft surfaces. BMC Vet Res, 22(1), 559. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05804-1

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
PII: 559

Researcher Affiliations

Horan, K
  • The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK. khoran@rvc.ac.uk.
Warner, S E
  • The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK.
Day, P
  • The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK.
Housby-Skeggs, N
  • The Horse Trust, Slad Lane, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 0PP, UK.
Lane-Ley, E
  • The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, King George VI Lines, Repository Road, Woolwich, Greater London, SE18 4BB, UK.
Telfer, H
  • Defence Animal Training Regiment, Remount Barracks, Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0HX, UK.
Berner, D
  • The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses / physiology
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Gait / physiology
  • Male
  • Walking / physiology
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / physiology
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / physiology
  • Spine / physiology
  • Rotation

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for this study was received from the Royal Veterinary College Clinical Research Ethical Review Board (URN 2021 2025–3). The participating horse owners provided informed consent. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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