Modeling study of compensatory head movements in lame horses.
Abstract: To study the role of head movements in lame horses. Methods: 11 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: A 2-segment 2-dimensional inverse dynamic model of trotting horses was developed: trunk and head/neck segment joined in a neck joint. Model input consisted of averaged segmental inertial properties and averaged kinematic data, taken from 11 horses, trotting on a treadmill (3.5 m/s) in 3 conditions of induced lameness: sound, mildly lame, and moderately lame. Dynamic and static effects were analyzed. Results: Dynamic effects were found to be considerably larger than static effects. In the moderately lame condition, the maximal neck joint vertical force during the lame stance phase had a 27% decrease, compared with the sound situation. Neck joint sagittal torque and maximal vertical force on the trunk decreased by 31 and 13%, respectively. Load distribution between forelimb and hind limb indicated a relative load shift from the lame forelimb to the diagonal hind limb during the lame stance phase. The sound contralateral forelimb carried a higher load while the ipsilateral hind limb was unloaded. Conclusions: It could be concluded that asymmetric head movements have a major role in lameness compensation, which can be explained by inertial interaction between trunk and head/neck segment. Static effects, such as caudad shifting of the body center of mass, are of minor importance. Conclusions: This report clarifies the mechanism of lameness compensation and the method of lameness diagnosis.
Publication Date: 1997-07-01 PubMed ID: 9215445
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigates the role of head movements in compensating for lameness in horses, illustrating that the asymmetrical movements play a significant role in offsetting limpness and that the center of mass is less relevant in this compensation process.
Objective and Methodology
- The research intends to better understand the impact of head movements in horses suffering from lameness. In particular, it explores how these movements help compensate for lameness and maintain balance.
- The researchers developed a 2-segment, 2-dimensional inverse dynamic model of trotting horses, composed of two key parts – the trunk and the head/neck, joined via a neck joint.
- The model takes into account average inertial properties and kinematic data from 11 Dutch Warmblood horses. These horses trotted on a treadmill at a speed of 3.5 m/s under three varying conditions – sound (or healthy), mildly lame, and moderately lame.
Findings from the study
- The study reveals that the dynamic effects (movements and force generation) in a trotting horse are considerably more significant than static effects (stationary measurements).
- In the case of moderate lameness, there was a 27% decrease in maximal neck joint vertical force during the lame stance phase, as compared to a sound horse.
- Moreover, the study found a decrease in neck joint sagittal torque and maximal vertical force on the trunk by 31% and 13%, respectively.
- The distribution of load between the forelimb and hind limb of the horse indicated a relative shift from the lame forelimb to the hind limb on the diagonal side during the lame stance phase.
- The load on the healthy contralateral forelimb increased, whereas the load on the ipsilateral hind limb decreased.
Conclusions drawn
- The research concludes that asymmetric head movements significantly contribute to the compensation mechanism for lameness in horses. This can be primarily explained by the inertial interaction (rowing effect) between the trunk and the head/neck segment.
- Comparatively, static effects like the caudad shifting of the body center of mass exert lesser impact in compensating for lameness.
- This research thereby enlightens us about the mechanism for lameness compensation, which in turn, could improve methods of diagnosing lameness in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Vorstenbosch MA, Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.
(1997).
Modeling study of compensatory head movements in lame horses.
Am J Vet Res, 58(7), 713-718.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Functional Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Forelimb / physiopathology
- Head Movements / physiology
- Hindlimb / physiopathology
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Joints / physiopathology
- Lameness, Animal / diagnosis
- Lameness, Animal / physiopathology
- Models, Biological
- Neck / physiopathology
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Poizat E, Gérard M, Macaire C, De Azevedo E, Denoix JM, Coudry V, Jacquet S, Bertoni L, Tallaj A, Audigié F, Hatrisse C, Hébert C, Martin P, Marin F, Hanne-Poujade S, Chateau H. Discrimination of the Lame Limb in Horses Using a Machine Learning Method (Support Vector Machine) Based on Asymmetry Indices Measured by the EQUISYM System. Sensors (Basel) 2025 Feb 12;25(4).
- Gan Z, Wiestner T, Weishaupt MA, Waldern NM, David Remy C. Passive Dynamics Explain Quadrupedal Walking, Trotting, and Tölting. J Comput Nonlinear Dyn 2016 Mar;11(2):0210081-2100812.
- Dunbar DC, Macpherson JM, Simmons RW, Zarcades A. Stabilization and mobility of the head, neck and trunk in horses during overground locomotion: comparisons with humans and other primates. J Exp Biol 2008 Dec;211(Pt 24):3889-907.
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