Effect of trotting speed and circle radius on movement symmetry in horses during lunging on a soft surface.
Abstract: To determine whether body lean angle could be predicted from circle radius and speed in horses during lunging and whether an increase in that angle would decrease the degree of movement symmetry (MS). Methods: 11 medium- to high-level dressage horses in competition training. Methods: Body lean angle, head MS, and trunk MS were quantified during trotting while horses were instrumented with a 5-sensor global positioning system-enhanced inertial sensor system and lunged on a soft surface. Speed and circle radius were varied and used to calculate predicted body lean angle. Agreement between observed and predicted values was assessed, and the association between lean angle and MS was determined via least squares linear regression. Results: 162 trials totaling 3,368 strides (mean, 21 strides/trial) representing trotting speeds of 1.5 to 4.7 m/s and circle radii of 1.8 to 11.2 m were conducted in both lunging directions. Differences between observed and predicted lean angles were small (mean ± SD difference, -1.2 ± 2.4°) but significantly greater for circling to the right versus left. Movement symmetry values had a larger spread for the head than for the pelvis, and values of all but 1 MS variable changed with body lean angle. Conclusions: Body lean angle agreed well with predictions from gravitational and centripetal forces, but differences observed between lunging directions emphasize the need to investigate other factors that might influence this variable. For a fair comparison of MS between directions, body lean angle needs to be controlled for or corrected with the regression equations. Whether the regression equations need to be adapted for lame horses requires additional investigation.
Publication Date: 2012-11-28 PubMed ID: 23176414DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.73.12.1890Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This study examines the relationship between trotting speed, circle radius, body lean angle, and movement symmetry in medium to high-level dressage horses during training. It concludes that body lean angle correlates with predictions based on gravitational and centripetal forces but differs between lunging directions, requiring further study.
Methods and Procedures
- The research involved 11 medium to high-level dressage horses in competition training.
- A 5-sensor global positioning system-enhanced inertial sensor system was used to measure body lean angle, head movement symmetry (MS), and trunk MS during trotting on a soft surface.
- The horses were led around at varying speeds and circle radii to calculate the predicted body lean angle.
- The observed and predicted values were compared, and the association between lean angle and MS was determined through least squares linear regression.
Results
- The research involved conducting 162 trials represented by 3,368 strides with trotting speeds from 1.5 to 4.7 m/s and circle radii from 1.8 to 11.2 m in both lunging directions.
- Despite the differences between observed and predicted lean angles being small, it was found to be significantly greater when circling to the right compared to the left.
- The spread of movement symmetry values for the head was larger than for the pelvis, and all but one MS variable changed with body lean angle.
Conclusion
- The findings indicated that the body lean angle agreed with predictions based on gravitational and centripetal forces.
- However, the differences observed between lunging directions suggest that other factors that might influence this should be investigated.
- To ensure fair comparison of movement symmetry between directions, body lean angle needs to be controlled or corrected with the regression equations.
- Further investigations are needed to determine if the regression equations require adjustments for lame horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Pfau T, Stubbs NC, Kaiser LJ, Brown LE, Clayton HM.
(2012).
Effect of trotting speed and circle radius on movement symmetry in horses during lunging on a soft surface.
Am J Vet Res, 73(12), 1890-1899.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.73.12.1890 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, Hertfordshire, England. tpfau@rvc.ac.uk
MeSH Terms
- Adaptation, Physiological
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Gait
- Head / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Monitoring, Ambulatory
- Torso / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 20 times.- Hobbs SJ, Serra Braganca FM, Rhodin M, Hernlund E, Peterson M, Clayton HM. Evaluating Overall Performance in High-Level Dressage Horse-Rider Combinations by Comparing Measurements from Inertial Sensors with General Impression Scores Awarded by Judges.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 2;13(15).
- Logan AA, Snyder AJ, Nielsen BD. Circle Diameter Impacts Stride Frequency and Forelimb Stance Duration at Various Gaits in Horses.. Sensors (Basel) 2023 Apr 24;23(9).
- Egenvall A, Engström H, Byström A. Back motion in unridden horses in walk, trot and canter on a circle.. Vet Res Commun 2023 May 2;.
- Timmerman I, Macaire C, Hanne-Poujade S, Bertoni L, Martin P, Marin F, Chateau H. A Pilot Study on the Inter-Operator Reproducibility of a Wireless Sensors-Based System for Quantifying Gait Asymmetries in Horses.. Sensors (Basel) 2022 Dec 6;22(23).
- Logan AA, Nielsen BD, Hiney KM, Robison CI, Manfredi JM, Buskirk DD, Popovich JM Jr. The Impact of Circular Exercise Diameter on Bone and Joint Health of Juvenile Animals.. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 27;12(11).
- Pfau T, Bolt DM, Fiske-Jackson A, Gerdes C, Hoenecke K, Lynch L, Perrier M, Smith RKW. Linear Discriminant Analysis for Investigating Differences in Upper Body Movement Symmetry in Horses before/after Diagnostic Analgesia in Relation to Expert Judgement.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 17;12(6).
- Pfau T, Scott WM, Sternberg Allen T. Upper Body Movement Symmetry in Reining Quarter Horses during Trot In-Hand, on the Lunge and during Ridden Exercise.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 27;12(5).
- Logan AA, Nielsen BD, Robison CI, Hallock DB, Manfredi JM, Hiney KM, Buskirk DD, Popovich JM Jr. Impact of Gait and Diameter during Circular Exercise on Front Hoof Area, Vertical Force, and Pressure in Mature Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Dec 17;11(12).
- Starke SD, May SA. Robustness of five different visual assessment methods for the evaluation of hindlimb lameness based on tubera coxarum movement in horses at the trot on a straight line.. Equine Vet J 2022 Nov;54(6):1103-1113.
- Pfau T, Persson-Sjodin E, Gardner H, Orssten O, Hernlund E, Rhodin M. Effect of Speed and Surface Type on Individual Rein and Combined Left-Right Circle Movement Asymmetry in Horses on the Lunge.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:692031.
- Byström A, Hardeman AM, Serra Bragança FM, Roepstorff L, Swagemakers JH, van Weeren PR, Egenvall A. Differences in equine spinal kinematics between straight line and circle in trot.. Sci Rep 2021 Jun 18;11(1):12832.
- Parkes RSV, Pfau T, Weller R, Witte TH. The effect of curve running on distal limb kinematics in the Thoroughbred racehorse.. PLoS One 2020;15(12):e0244105.
- Hardeman AM, Byström A, Roepstorff L, Swagemakers JH, van Weeren PR, Serra Bragança FM. Range of motion and between-measurement variation of spinal kinematics in sound horses at trot on the straight line and on the lunge.. PLoS One 2020;15(2):e0222822.
- Maśko M, Zdrojkowski L, Domino M, Jasinski T, Gajewski Z. The Pattern of Superficial Body Temperatures in Leisure Horses Lunged with Commonly Used Lunging Aids.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Dec 7;9(12).
- Persson-Sjodin E, Hernlund E, Pfau T, Haubro Andersen P, Holm Forsström K, Rhodin M. Effect of meloxicam treatment on movement asymmetry in riding horses in training.. PLoS One 2019;14(8):e0221117.
- Hardeman AM, Serra Bragança FM, Swagemakers JH, van Weeren PR, Roepstorff L. Variation in gait parameters used for objective lameness assessment in sound horses at the trot on the straight line and the lunge.. Equine Vet J 2019 Nov;51(6):831-839.
- Vertz J, Deblanc D, Rhodin M, Pfau T. Effect of a unilateral hind limb orthotic lift on upper body movement symmetry in the trotting horse.. PLoS One 2018;13(6):e0199447.
- Rhodin M, Egenvall A, Haubro Andersen P, Pfau T. Head and pelvic movement asymmetries at trot in riding horses in training and perceived as free from lameness by the owner.. PLoS One 2017;12(4):e0176253.
- Rhodin M, Roepstorff L, French A, Keegan KG, Pfau T, Egenvall A. Head and pelvic movement asymmetry during lungeing in horses with symmetrical movement on the straight.. Equine Vet J 2016 May;48(3):315-20.
- Hammarberg M, Egenvall A, Pfau T, Rhodin M. Rater agreement of visual lameness assessment in horses during lungeing.. Equine Vet J 2016 Jan;48(1):78-82.
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