Ground reaction forces and limb function in tölting Icelandic horses.
Abstract: Gaited horses employ 4-beat stepping (singlefoot) gaits that extend into speeds typical of trots. Ground reaction force (GRF) patterns of these specialised gaits have not been reported; therefore, appraisal of these gaits using nongaited horse kinetics may lead to clinical misjudgements. Objective: GRFs of tölting Icelandic horses will be comparable in profile and magnitude with those of trotting horses. Methods: Forelimb and hindlimb GRFs were obtained for 10 Icelandic horses ridden at a tölt. These data were evaluated across 3 speed ranges: <2, 2.5-5 and >5 m/sec. Results: Virtually all vertical force tracings were single-peaked. Forelimbs typically had greater peak vertical forces and impulses compared with hindlimbs. Support duration and forelimb vertical impulse were correlated negatively with speed, whereas peak vertical, braking and propulsive forces and hindlimb braking and propulsive impulses were correlated positively with speed. Conclusions: GRF profiles of tölting Icelandic horses are more similar to profiles of trots than walks, suggesting that tölts follow bouncing mechanics. Conclusions: Greater overlap of limb support in 4-beat gaits (even at high speeds) is associated with lower peak vertical force magnitudes of tölts compared with those reported for trots at comparable speeds, which may help limit the occurrence of overloading injuries in Icelandic horses.
Publication Date: 2005-01-20 PubMed ID: 15656508DOI: 10.2746/0425164044848190Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
Summary
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The research article is about studying the ground reaction forces (GRFs) in trotting Icelandic horses and comparing them with non-gaited horse kinetics, with the purpose of potentially avoiding clinical misjudgements.
Objectives of the Research
- The research seeks to determine whether the GRFs of tölting Icelandic horses are similar in magnitude and profile to trotting horses.
Methodology of the Research
- Forelimb and hindlimb GRFs were recorded for ten tölt Icelandic horses; this data was then evaluated across three different speed ranges, namely, under 2, between 2.5-5, and over 5 m/sec.
Results of the Research
- Almost all vertical force tracings were found to be single-peaked. Forelimbs typically had greater peak vertical forces and impulses compared with hindlimbs.
- Support duration and forelimb vertical impulse were negatively correlated with speed, whereas peak vertical, braking and propulsive forces and hindlimb braking and propulsive impulses were positively correlated with speed.
Conclusions of the Research
- The GRF profiles of tölting Icelandic horses were found to be more similar to those of trotting horses, rather than walking ones, suggesting that tölts might operate around bouncing mechanics.
- According to the research, a greater overlap of limb support in 4-beat gaits (even at high speeds) is correlated to lower peak vertical force magnitudes of tölts when compared to similar speeds in trotting. This may potentially limit the occurrence of overloading injuries in Icelandic horses, hence the initial hypothesis was validated.
Cite This Article
APA
Biknevicius AR, Mullineaux DR, Clayton HM.
(2005).
Ground reaction forces and limb function in tölting Icelandic horses.
Equine Vet J, 36(8), 743-747.
https://doi.org/10.2746/0425164044848190 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Forelimb / physiology
- Gait / physiology
- Hindlimb / physiology
- Hoof and Claw / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Locomotion / physiology
- Stress, Mechanical
- Weight-Bearing
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Söderroos D, Stefánsdóttir GJ, Ragnarsson S, Gunnarsson V, Jansson A. Physiological response to weight carrying and associations with conformation traits in Icelandic horses used for tour riding. Acta Vet Scand 2025 Jun 19;67(1):35.
- Rhodin M, Serra Bragança FM, Persson-Sjodin E, Björnsdóttir S, Gunnarsdottir H, Gunnarsson V, Hernlund E, Smit IH. Adaptation strategies of Icelandic horses with induced transient hindlimb lameness at walk, trot and tölt. Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):230-242.
- Aoun R, Ogunmola Z, Musso A, Taguchi T, Takawira C, Lopez MJ. Shoe configuration effects on equine forelimb gait kinetics at a walk. PeerJ 2025;13:e18940.
- van Bijlert PA, Geijtenbeek T, Smit IH, Schulp AS, Bates KT. Muscle-Driven Predictive Physics Simulations of Quadrupedal Locomotion in the Horse. Integr Comp Biol 2024 Sep 27;64(3):694-714.
- Vincelette A. The Characteristics, Distribution, Function, and Origin of Alternative Lateral Horse Gaits. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 8;13(16).
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- Polet DT, Bertram JEA. Competing Models of Work in Quadrupedal Walking: Center of Mass Work is Insufficient to Explain Stereotypical Gait. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022;10:826336.
- Polet DT, Hutchinson JR. Estimating Gaits of an Ancient Crocodile-Line Archosaur Through Trajectory Optimization, With Comparison to Fossil Trackways. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021;9:800311.
- Weihmann T. The Smooth Transition From Many-Legged to Bipedal Locomotion-Gradual Leg Force Reduction and its Impact on Total Ground Reaction Forces, Body Dynamics and Gait Transitions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021;9:769684.
- Clayton HM, Hobbs SJ. A Review of Biomechanical Gait Classification with Reference to Collected Trot, Passage and Piaffe in Dressage Horses. Animals (Basel) 2019 Oct 3;9(10).
- Gunnarsson V, Stefánsdóttir GJ, Jansson A, Roepstorff L. The effect of rider weight and additional weight in Icelandic horses in tölt: part II. Stride parameters responses. Animal 2017 Sep;11(9):1567-1572.
- Dimiskovski M, Scheinfield R, Higgin D, Krupka A, Lemay MA. Characterization and validation of a split belt treadmill for measuring hindlimb ground-reaction forces in able-bodied and spinalized felines. J Neurosci Methods 2017 Feb 15;278:65-75.
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- Webb AA, Kerr B, Neville T, Ngan S, Assem H. Kinematics and ground reaction force determination: a demonstration quantifying locomotor abilities of young adult, middle-aged, and geriatric rats. J Vis Exp 2011 Feb 22;(48).
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- Ren L, Hutchinson JR. The three-dimensional locomotor dynamics of African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants reveal a smooth gait transition at moderate speed. J R Soc Interface 2008 Feb 6;5(19):195-211.
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