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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Rec / Expert visual assessment strategies for equine lameness exam...
The Veterinary record2022; 191(8); e1684; doi: 10.1002/vetr.1684

Expert visual assessment strategies for equine lameness examinations in a straight line and circle: A mixed methods study using eye tracking.

Abstract: A large number of lameness indicators have been suggested for the visual equine lameness assessment. However, it remains unknown which of these are commonly used by experts. Twenty-four expert lameness assessors from 10 leading UK institutions viewed 28 video clips of sound and mildly lame horses (median score 2/10). Horses were shown at trot in a straight line (rear and front view) and circle (side view, left and right rein). Eye tracking data were collected at 60 Hz while participants evaluated each clip. A questionnaire captured contextual information. During assessment on the straight line, participants consistently looked mostly at the head and pelvis. On the circle, many participants consistently looked at the head, yet the subsequent choice, weighting and order of examined body regions was unsystematic between and within participants, and there was a bias towards prolonged assessment of the horse's front region. Questionnaires revealed different descriptions of lameness indicators for the same body region and different approaches to decision making under uncertainty. In contrast to reasonably high similarity on the straight line, expert veterinarians have not developed a consistent assessment approach when evaluating horses on the circle. The reliability of various lameness indicators on the circle requires a stronger evidence base for a more systematic, repeatable approach.
© 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2022-06-18 PubMed ID: 35716395DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1684Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article is about a study conducted to identify the most common strategies used by expert practitioners to assess equine lameness visually. The study employed both eye-tracking and questionnaires to draw conclusions on the assessment tactics.

Methodology

  • 24 expert lameness assessors from ten leading institutions in the UK were involved in this study.
  • Assessors were asked to view 28 video clips of sound and mildly lame horses, with each horse given a roundness score of 2/10.
  • The horses were shown in a straight line (rear and front view) and on a circle (side view, left and right rein) while trotting.
  • Eye tracking equipment was used to obtain data on the assessors’ visual focus while viewing each clip. This data was collected at a frequency of 60 Hz.
  • A survey was also employed to provide contextual information about the assessors’ strategies and their descriptions of lameness indicators.

Findings

  • In straight line assessments, most participants consistently focused on the horse’s head and pelvis.
  • In circle assessments, many participants routinely focused on the horse’s head, however, the sequence, focus areas, and prioritization of examined regions varied greatly among the assessors.
  • There was also a bias favoring a prolonged analysis of the horse’s front region during the circular assessment.
  • The survey revealed different descriptions of lameness indicators for the same body area and varying decision-making approaches used by assessors when faced with uncertainty.

Conclusions

  • A reasonably high consistency was observed among all the experts when evaluating horses in a straight line.
  • In contrast, the experts did not have a uniform approach when assessing horses on a circle.
  • The study suggests that the reliability of various lameness indicators on the circle requires stronger evidence before developing a more systematic and repeatable approach.

Cite This Article

APA
Starke SD, May SA. (2022). Expert visual assessment strategies for equine lameness examinations in a straight line and circle: A mixed methods study using eye tracking. Vet Rec, 191(8), e1684. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.1684

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 191
Issue: 8
Pages: e1684

Researcher Affiliations

Starke, Sandra D
  • Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
May, Stephen A
  • Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Lameness, Animal / diagnosis
  • Eye-Tracking Technology
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Gait
  • Pelvis
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis

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