Distal limb wraps produce gait- and material-dependent post-exercise changes in stride timing and limb kinematics in horses.

Overview

• This study investigated how different types of distal limb wraps (elastic and fleece) affect the timing and movement of horse limbs after exercise.
• The research found that these wraps caused specific changes in stride timing and limb joint movement depending on the wrap material and gait, but did not consistently alter overall movement symmetry along the horse’s body.

Background and Objective

• Distal limb wraps are commonly applied to horses’ lower legs during exercise to provide support or protection.
• Despite their widespread use, little is known about how these wraps affect horses’ limb movement patterns and symmetry after exercising.
• The purpose of this study was to assess whether elastic or fleece distal limb wraps change temporal stride variables (timing aspects of the gait), distal limb joint kinematics (joint angles and limb movement), and the symmetry of axial movement (balanced movement along the horse’s spine) after controlled exercise.

Methods

• Six adult horses participated in a prospective crossover design, meaning each horse experienced all three conditions in different sessions: no wraps, elastic wraps, and fleece wraps.
• Both front and hind distal limbs were wrapped bilaterally, with applied pressure standardized at 20 mmHg to control for tightness.
• Horses exercised freely in a round pen for 20 minutes, allowing natural movement within a controlled environment.
• After exercise, gait data were collected on a 50-meter sandy track using seven inertial measurement units (IMUs) that recorded detailed limb and body kinematics.
• Researchers compared stride timing, stance and swing durations, limb retraction angles, and overall symmetry across the three wrap conditions during both walk and trot gaits.

Key Findings

• Walk gait:
  • Wrap condition significantly affected duty factor (proportion of stride spent with a limb on the ground), stance duration of the left forelimb, and the amount of right forelimb retraction (backward limb movement).
  • Fleece wraps increased left forelimb stance duration by approximately 0.043 seconds and increased mean duty factor by about 1.14 percentage points compared to no wraps.
  • Elastic wraps increased the right forelimb retraction angle by about 3.27 degrees compared to no wraps.
• Trot gait:
  • Elastic wraps increased mean duty factor by about 5.7 percentage points compared to no wraps.
  • Elastic wraps reduced left forelimb swing duration by 0.032 seconds compared to fleece wraps.
• Axial movement symmetry: No consistent changes were observed between wrap conditions, suggesting the wraps did not affect overall balance and symmetry of spinal movement.

Conclusions and Implications

• The study demonstrated that distal limb wraps can cause subtle but statistically significant alterations in stride timing and joint kinematics after exercise.
• Effects depend on the type of wrap material and the gait being performed, with more notable changes seen during walking compared to trotting.
• Elastic wraps tended to influence limb retraction and swing timing, while fleece wraps mainly affected stance duration and duty factor.
• The absence of changes in axial symmetry suggests these wraps do not disrupt overall spinal balance or coordination.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering wrap material and usage when evaluating equine performance or rehabilitation, as wraps may slightly modify limb mechanics without affecting overall symmetry.