Effect of head and neck position on vertical ground reaction forces and interlimb coordination in the dressage horse ridden at walk and trot on a treadmill.

The researchers in this study analysed how different positions of a horse’s head and neck could impact the force the horses applied to the ground and their limb coordination while trotting and walking on a treadmill. The study aimed to better inform riding techniques, potentially reducing the risk of horse injuries.

Research Methodology

• The research involved seven high level dressage horses that were ridden at a walk and trot on a treadmill. The positions of the horse’s head and neck were adjusted to six different setups.
• The six head-neck positions (HNPs) studied ranged from a free, unrestrained position with loose reins (HNP1) to various elevated, extended, or flexed positions of the neck and head (HNP2 to HNP6).
• The horses’ vertical ground reaction (the force exerted by the ground on the body in response to the body force acting on the ground) and time parameters of each limb were measured in each of these positions.
• The different HNPs were compared to a reference HNP (HNP2 – neck raised, bridge of the nose in front of the vertical), and statistical analyses were performed using paired t test or Wilcoxon signed rank test.

Key Findings

• At the walking pace, the stride duration and overreach distance (how far the hind feet step over the track of the forefeet) increased when the head and neck were in a free, unrestrained position (HNP1), but decreased when the neck was raised and the nose was behind or in front of the vertical (HNP3 and HNP5).
• In HNP1 and HNP6 (head and neck extended forward and downward), the stride impulse (the integral of force with respect to time) was shifted to the forehand, but it was shifted to the hindquarters in HNP5.
• When the horses were trotting, the stride duration lengthened in HNP4 and HNP5. The overreach distance was shorter in HNP4, and the stride impulse was shifted to the hindquarters in HNP5.
• In HNP1, the peak forces decreased in the forelimbs, whereas in HPN5, these forces increased in both the fore- and hindlimbs.

Conclusions

• The study revealed that the neck position where it was extremely elevated, and the bridge of the nose was considerably in front of the vertical (HNP5) had the most substantial impact on limb timing and load distribution and behaved inversely to HNP1 and HNP6.
• Even though the stride impulse carried by the forelimbs decreased in HNP5, the shortening of the forelimbs’ stance duration led to increased peak forces.
• In conclusion, a very high head-neck position affected the horse’s functionality more than a very low neck position.