Does ‘hacking’ surface type affect equine forelimb foot placement, movement symmetry or hoof impact deceleration during ridden walk and trot exercise?

The research article investigates how different “hacking” surfaces affect horse movement, specifically relating to forelimb foot placement, hoof vibration, and movement symmetry. The study finds that surface type can indeed influence these parameters, potentially offering insights into the relationship between leg health and riding surface in horses.

Methodology

• This study leveraged a quantitative gait study with six horses who regularly participate in hacking activity, i.e., riding over different types of terrain.
• Horses were ridden in walk and trot modes over three common types of tracks: grass, gravel, and tarmac.
• Each horse was fitted with one hoof-mounted accelerometer and four body-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs) to record details about the foot’s impact and the horse’s movement symmetry.
• Simultaneously, high-speed video footage recording the horses’ foot placement was taken from dorsal (top), palmar (back), and lateral (side) viewpoints.
• Data on foot-impact, movement symmetry, and foot-placement were analyzed using statistical tools.

Results

• The study found that hoof vibration power and frequency increased as the perceived hardness of the surface increased (from grass to gravel to tarmac).
• At the trotting speed, the vibration power was consistently higher than at walking speed, though the vibration frequency did not show any significant difference based on the speed.
• The highest movement asymmetry was measured when trotting on a grass surface.
• No significant difference was found in foot placement between the three surfaces.

Conclusions

• This study, conducted in real field settings, reveals that horse movement, specifically forelimb foot placement, movement symmetry, and hoof vibration, is influenced by the surface type over which the horses are ridden.
• However, it’s crucial to consider that these results were obtained from only six leisure horses and may not represent all horse types.
• Also, the study notes that surface properties can change with water content and temperature fluctuations, which could affect the results if the experiment were conducted in different seasonal conditions.
• In conclusion, the study suggests that further investigations are needed to determine the role that these vibration parameters might play in the development of musculoskeletal diseases in horses.