Effect of underwater treadmill exercise on postural sway in horses with experimentally induced carpal joint osteoarthritis.
Abstract: To evaluate the effect of underwater treadmill exercise on static postural sway in horses with experimentally induced carpal joint osteoarthritis under various stance conditions. Methods: 16 horses. Methods: On day 0, osteoarthritis was induced arthroscopically in 1 randomly selected middle carpal joint of each horse. Beginning on day 15, horses were assigned to either underwater or overground (without water) treadmill exercise at the same speed, frequency, and duration. Two serial force platforms were used to collect postural sway data from each horse on study days -7, 14, 42, and 70. Horses were made to stand stationary on the force platforms under 3 stance conditions: normal square stance, base-narrow placement of the thoracic limbs, and removal of visual cues (blindfolded) during a normal square stance. The mean of 3 consecutive, 10-second trials in each condition was calculated and used for analysis. Results: Displacement of the center of pressure differed significantly depending on the stance condition. Among horses exercised on the underwater treadmill, postural stability in both the base-narrow and blindfolded stance conditions improved, compared with findings for horses exercised on the overground treadmill. Horses exercised on the overground treadmill were only successful at maintaining a stable center of pressure during the normal square stance position. Conclusions: Variations in stance position had profound effects on the mechanics of standing balance in horses with experimentally induced carpal joint osteoarthritis. Underwater treadmill exercise significantly improved the horses' postural stability, which is fundamental in providing evidence-based support for equine aquatic exercise.
Publication Date: 2013-06-28 PubMed ID: 23802668DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.74.7.971Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
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The research examines the effect of underwater treadmill exercise on the balance of horses suffering from experimentally-induced osteoarthritis in the carpal joint. It showed that such an exercise program significantly improved the horses’ postural stability, especially when compared to overground treadmill exercise.
Methodology
- The study involved a total of 16 horses. Initially, each horse had osteoarthritis induced in one of their middle carpal joints through arthroscopic surgery on day 0.
- Starting from day 15 post-surgery, half of the horses were assigned to exercise on an underwater treadmill, while the other half used an overground treadmill. The speed, frequency, and duration of exercises were maintained equal.
- Postural sway data were collected from each horse using two force platforms on days -7, 14, 42, and 70.
- Horses were made to stand stationary on the force platforms under three different conditions: normal square stance, base-narrow stance of the thoracic limbs, and removal of visual cues (blindfolded) in a normal square stance.
- The mean results from three, 10-second trials in each condition were calculated and used for analysis.
Findings
- Analyzing the collected data showed significant differences in the displacement of the center of pressure, based on the stance condition.
- Horses exercised on the underwater treadmill exhibited improved postural stability in the base-narrow and blindfolded stance conditions. This was in contrast with the horses exercised on the overground treadmill, who could only maintain a stable center of pressure in the normal square stance position.
Conclusions
- The researchers concluded that changing the stance position profoundly impacted the balance mechanics in horses with experimentally-induced carpal joint osteoarthritis.
- Most importantly, the study concluded that exercising in water, or equine aquatic exercise, significantly improved postural stability in horses with experimentally induced carapal joint osteoarthritis.
The findings of this study contribute to the body of evidence supporting the use of underwater exercises for managing osteoarthritis in animals. It opens up new paths for future research in this area.
Cite This Article
APA
King MR, Haussler KK, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Reiser Ii RF.
(2013).
Effect of underwater treadmill exercise on postural sway in horses with experimentally induced carpal joint osteoarthritis.
Am J Vet Res, 74(7), 971-982.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.74.7.971 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Melissa.King@Colostate.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Carpal Joints / drug effects
- Carpal Joints / pathology
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / chemically induced
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal
- Osteoarthritis / chemically induced
- Osteoarthritis / veterinary
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- St George L, Nankervis K, Walker V, Maddock C, Robinson A, Sinclair J, Hobbs SJ. A Feasibility Study to Determine Whether Neuromuscular Adaptations to Equine Water Treadmill Exercise Can Be Detected Using Synchronous Surface Electromyography and Kinematic Data. Animals (Basel) 2025 Nov 1;15(21).
- Tranquille C, Nankervis K, Tacey J, Hopkins E, Deckers I, Walker V, MacKechnie-Guire R, Newton R, Murray R. Does Muscle Development of Sport Horses Using Water Treadmill Exercise as Part of a Long-Term Training Programme Differ from That of Horses Not Using Water Treadmill Exercise?. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 19;15(16).
- Sikorska U, Maśko M, Rey B, Domino M. Utility of Infrared Thermography for Monitoring of Surface Temperature Changes During Horses' Work on Water Treadmill with an Artificial River System. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 1;15(15).
- Lutonsky C, Affenzeller N, Aghapour M, Wegscheider J, Peham C, Tichy A, Bockstahler B. Improving postural stability through proprioceptive training in dogs. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1645875.
- Geiger T, Lindenhahn L, Delarocque J, Geburek F. Evaluation of water treadmill training, lunging and treadmill training in the rehabilitation of horses with back pain. BMC Vet Res 2025 Jul 29;21(1):495.
- Nankervis K, Tranquille C, Tacey J, Deckers I, MacKechnie-Guire R, Walker V, Hopkins E, Newton R, Murray R. Kinematic Responses to Water Treadmill Exercise When Used Regularly within a Sport Horse Training Programme: A Longitudinal, Observational Study. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 18;14(16).
- Bliss M, Terry J, de Godoy RF. Limbs kinematics of dogs exercising at different water levels on the underwater treadmill. Vet Med Sci 2022 Nov;8(6):2374-2381.
- Baccarin RYA, Seidel SRT, Michelacci YM, Tokawa PKA, Oliveira TM. Osteoarthritis: a common disease that should be avoided in the athletic horse's life. Anim Front 2022 Jun;12(3):25-36.
- Atalaia T, Prazeres J, Abrantes J, Clayton HM. Equine Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 22;11(6).
- Nankervis K, Tranquille C, McCrae P, York J, Lashley M, Baumann M, King M, Sykes E, Lambourn J, Miskimmin KA, Allen D, van Mol E, Brooks S, Willingham T, Lacey S, Hardy V, Ellis J, Murray R. Consensus for the General Use of Equine Water Treadmills for Healthy Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jan 26;11(2).
- Saitua A, Becero M, Argüelles D, Castejón-Riber C, Sánchez de Medina A, Satué K, Muñoz A. Combined Effects of Water Depth and Velocity on the Accelerometric Parameters Measured in Horses Exercised on a Water Treadmill. Animals (Basel) 2020 Feb 3;10(2).
- Tabor G, Nankervis K, Fernandes J, Williams J. Generation of Domains for the Equine Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Outcome Score: Development by Expert Consensus. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jan 25;10(2).
- Muñoz A, Saitua A, Becero M, Riber C, Satué K, de Medina AS, Argüelles D, Castejón-Riber C. The Use of the Water Treadmill for the Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Sport Horse. J Vet Res 2019 Sep;63(3):439-445.
- Greco-Otto P, Bond S, Sides R, Bayly W, Leguillette R. Conditioning equine athletes on water treadmills significantly improves peak oxygen consumption. Vet Rec 2020 Feb 29;186(8):250.
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