Ground reaction forces in horses trotting up an incline and on the level over a range of speeds.
Abstract: Although the forces required to support the body mass are not elevated when moving up an incline, kinematic studies, in vivo tendon and bone studies and kinetic studies suggest there is a shift in forces from the fore- to the hindlimbs in quadrupeds. However, there are no whole-animal kinetic measurements of incline locomotion. Based on previous related research, we hypothesized that there would be a shift in forces to the hindlimb. The present study measured the force produced by the fore- and hindlimbs of horses while trotting over a range of speeds (2.5 to 5 m s(-1)) on both level and up an inclined (10%) surface. On the level, forelimb peak forces increased with trotting speed, but hindlimb peak force remained constant. On the incline, both fore- and hindlimb peak forces increased with speed, but the sum of the peak forces was lower than on the level. On the level, over the range of speeds tested, total force was consistently distributed between the limbs as 57% forelimb and 43% hindlimb, similar to the weight distribution of the horses during static weight tests. On the incline, the force distribution during locomotion shifted to 52% forelimb and 48% hindlimb. Time of contact and duty factor decreased with speed for both limbs. Time of contact was longer for the forelimb than the hindlimb, a finding not previously reported for quadrupeds. Time of contact of both limbs tended to be longer when traveling up the incline than on the level, but duty factor for both limbs was similar under both conditions. Duty factor decreased slightly with increased speed for the hindlimb on the level, and the corresponding small, predicted increase in peak vertical force could not be detected statistically.
Publication Date: 2004-09-02 PubMed ID: 15339946DOI: 10.1242/jeb.01171Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
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The research studied the distribution of forces generated by a horse’s forelimbs and hindlimbs when trotting on different surfaces and at varying speeds. It showed a shift in force toward the hindlimbs when trotting uphill, contrary to the constant forces on flat surfaces.
Introduction and Background
- The study aimed to measure the forces produced by a horse’s forelimbs and hindlimbs when trotting uphill, and on level grounds across a range of speeds. This project builds upon past studies on the weight distribution of quadrupeds in motion, speculating a shift in forces to hindlimbs during uphill movement.
Study Design and Methodology
- Horses were made to trot at varying speeds on both flat and inclined surfaces. The range of speeds was 2.5 to 5 m s(-1).
- The incline was set at a 10% grade, and the forelimb and hindlimb peak forces were measured across these conditions.
Results Summary
- The findings confirm that there is an increase in hindlimb peak force on inclined surfaces, contrasting the constant force observed on flat grounds.
- On level ground, the total force was consistently distributed between the horse’s limbs as 57% forelimb and 43% hindlimb, which aligns with the weight distribution during static weight tests.
- When the horse trotted uphill, the force shifted, resulting in a slightly more evenly distributed load of 52% forelimb and 48% hindlimb.
- The time of foot contact with the ground was longer for the forelimb than the hindlimb, no matter the incline or speed.
- However, the time of contact for both limbs was slightly longer on an incline than on a flat surface. Despite this, the “duty factor”—the percentage of one complete stride for which a foot is on the ground—remained consistent between incline and level trotting.
Discussion and Conclusion
- The research exploits the lack of sufficient whole-animal kinetic data of uphill locomotion, and contributes to the limited resources with detailed metrics of a horse’s force exertion while trotting.
- The shift of forces to the hindlimbs during uphill trotting could be a crucial factor for equestrians, trainers or veterinarians to understand proper equine management and health.
Cite This Article
APA
Dutto DJ, Hoyt DF, Cogger EA, Wickler SJ.
(2004).
Ground reaction forces in horses trotting up an incline and on the level over a range of speeds.
J Exp Biol, 207(Pt 20), 3507-3514.
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.01171 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 91768, USA. ddutto@csupomona.edu
MeSH Terms
- Analysis of Variance
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Forelimb / physiology
- Gait / physiology
- Hindlimb / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Locomotion / physiology
- Video Recording
- Weight-Bearing
Grant Funding
- S06 GM53933 / NIGMS NIH HHS
Citations
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