Equine hoof slip distance during trot at training speed: comparison between kinematic and accelerometric measurement techniques.

The research explores the comparison between two techniques—kinematic and accelerometric—for measuring hoof slip distances in horses during a training trot. The study findings indicate that the accelerometric method offers a simple and effective way to evaluate these slip distances.

Experiment Setup

• Four French Trotter horses were utilized for this study.
• The researchers equipped the right front hoof of each horse with an accelerometer and kinematic markers.
• The horses ran on a firm, wet sand track outfitted with a 50-meter calibration corridor.
• The horses were analysed through a high-frequency camera mounted on a vehicle following them at an approximately constant speed.
• One horse was also tested on different terrains such as raw and harrowed dirt tracks.

Measurement Techniques

• Two measurement methods were used to quantify the slip distances: Double integration of the accelerometer signal and 2D direct linear transformation (2D-DLT) applied to the marker’s image coordinates acquired from the kinematic data.
• The hoof’s angle in relation to the track was also documented as part of the study.

Study Findings

• The research found middling to satisfactory agreement between the distances measured by the accelerometric and 2D-DLT techniques.
• There was fairly good agreement for the measurement of hoof-flat slip, which refers to the distance the hoof slips when it is flat on the ground.
• The impact of hoof rotation on total slip distance was less than 6% of accelerometric measures, adding further validity to this method.
• The differences between the two methods ranged from -0.5 cm to 2.1 cm for total slip and -0.2 cm to 1.4 cm for hoof-flat slip, and these differences were independent of the slip distance’s magnitude.
• The accelerometric method offered a straightforward way to measure slip distances at a moderate training speed trot, making it a promising tool for comparing these distances across various track surfaces.