Maximum permissible load weight of a Taishuh pony at a trot.

This study conducted gait analysis using a motion analysis system to find out the maximum load a trotting Taishuh pony can carry. The research found that the maximum permissible load weight of the Taishuh pony trotting at a moderate pace over a short distance was less than 100 kg, or 43% of the pony’s body weight.

Research Methodology

• The research included seven Taishuh Ponies (five mares and two geldings) and their riders, each of whom were fitted with markers on their chests, tracked by high-resolution digital DVD cameras.
• The ponies trotted along a straight course, performing seven tests under different load weights – a test with a load weight of 70 kg, five tests with random load weights between 80 kg and 120 kg, and finally a retest with a 70 kg load weight.
• The three-dimensional motion of each marker was captured and analyzed using a motion capture system.

Data Analysis

• The researchers subjected the time series of the markers’ vertical displacements to spectrum analysis, using the maximum entropy method, and calculated the autocorrelation coefficient.
• The first two peaks of the autocorrelation were classified as symmetry and regularity (reflecting gait pattern), and the total of the two was defined as stability.
• The Blackman-Tukey cross-spectrum analysis method was used to evaluate the time lag and cross-correlation coefficient between the time series of both pony and rider.

Main Findings

• The symmetry of the ponies’ gait in the 120 kg load weight test was significantly lower than in the first 70 kg test. Similarly, the gait stability in the 100 kg and 120 kg tests was significantly less than in the initial 70 kg test.
• For the riders, there was no significant difference in symmetry, regularity, and stability across the different load weights.
• The time lag between the horse and rider’s time series in the 120 kg test was considerably greater than in the first 70 kg test.
• Broadly, these results suggest that the maximum permissible load weight of a Taishuh pony trotting at a speed of 3.0 m/s for a short distance is less than 100 kg, which is equivalent to 43% of the pony’s body weight.