Influence of shoes with different weights on the motion of the limbs in Icelandic horses during toelt at different speeds.
Abstract: Weight boots are commonly used for Icelandic horses to increase the height of the flight arc of the forelimbs in toelt. Objective: To show the influence of weights and toelting speed on the height of the swing phase. Methods: Eight Icelandic horses (mean ± s.d. 12 ± 3 years old, 369 ± 46 kg) were used. Reflecting makers were placed on the dorsal side of each hoof. The motion was collected with a kinematic system (10 cameras, 120 Hz sample rate, 1.3 Mpixels resolution). The horses were ridden in toelt by 2 experienced riders on a treadmill at 2 different speeds (2.96 m/s ± 0.30 and 4.10 m/s ± 0.32). At each speed the horses were measured wearing no boots, light boots (170 g) and heavy boots (280 g) on both fore hooves. The measurement sequence was varied between horses. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was carried out to test for normal distribution of data and ANOVA for repeated measurements were used to compare differences (P < 0.05). Results: The weight as well as the speed of toelt had a significant influence on the height of the flight arc. At the lower speed, the mean ± s.d. height was 163 ± 55 mm, whereas at the higher speed the mean height was 228 ± 60 mm. The heavy weights increased the mean height at the lower speed from 152 ± 38 to 169 ± 48 mm and at the higher speed from 214 ± 60 to 245 ± 60 mm. Conclusions: This investigation shows that Icelandic horses can be expected to show a better toelt in competitions with weights, and ridden at a higher speed. For muscle adaptation to occur, weights should therefore be used during competitions and training.
© 2010 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2011-05-27 PubMed ID: 21059044DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00231.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article examines the impact varying weights and toelting speeds have on the physiologic function and athletic performance of Icelandic horses.
Research Objective
The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of different weights on Icelandic horses’ limb movements during toelt— a unique gait specific to some breeds of horses— and how this interaction plays out at different speeds. The intended goal was to provide insights that might enhance competition strategies and training regimens for these horses.
Methods
- The study comprised eight Icelandic horses, averaging 12 years in age and 369 kg in weight.
- A kinematic system with 10 cameras was used to collect motion data with 1.3-megapixel resolution at a sampling rate of 120 Hz.
- The horses were outfitted with reflective markers on their hooves to facilitate movement capture.
- The horses were ridden in toelt by two experienced riders, on a treadmill, at two varying speeds (2.96 m/s and 4.10 m/s).
- Horses were tested without boots, with light boots (170g), and heavy boots (280g) at each speed level. The sequence of measurements was varied for each horse.
- A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to analyze the data collected. Statistical significance was based on a p-value of less than 0.05.
Results
- The study found that both the weight of the shoes and the speed of toelt significantly affected the height of the horse’s flight arc during limb movement.
- At lower speeds, the average height was 163mm, while at higher speeds, the mean height increased to 228mm.
- Weighted boots increased the average flight height from 152mm to 169mm at lower speeds and from 214mm to 245mm at the higher speeds.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that Icelandic horses perform better in toelt with weights and at higher speeds during competition.
- Given these results, it suggests that for effective muscle adaptation, such strategies should be factored into both competition and training sessions for these Icelandic horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Rumpler B, Riha A, Licka T, Kotschwar A, Peham C.
(2011).
Influence of shoes with different weights on the motion of the limbs in Icelandic horses during toelt at different speeds.
Equine Vet J Suppl(38), 451-454.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00231.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Movement Science Group Vienna, Clinic of Orthopaedics in Ungulates, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria. r.bettina@gmx.at
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Gait / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Locomotion / physiology
- Shoes
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Gottleib K, Trager-Burns L, Santonastaso A, Bogers S, Werre S, Burns T, Byron C. Comparison of Gait Characteristics for Horses Without Shoes, with Steel Shoes, and with Aluminum Shoes. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 13;15(16).
- Aoun R, Takawira C, Lopez MJ. Horseshoe effects on equine gait-A systematic scoping review. Vet Surg 2025 Jan;54(1):31-51.
- Parmentier JIM, Bosch S, van der Zwaag BJ, Weishaupt MA, Gmel AI, Havinga PJM, van Weeren PR, Braganca FMS. Prediction of continuous and discrete kinetic parameters in horses from inertial measurement units data using recurrent artificial neural networks. Sci Rep 2023 Jan 13;13(1):740.
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