Movement asymmetry in working polo horses.
Abstract: The high, repetitive demands imposed on polo horses in training and competition may predispose them to musculoskeletal injuries and lameness. Objective: To quantify movement symmetry and lameness in a population of polo horses, and to investigate the existence of a relationship with age. Methods: Convenience sampled cross-sectional study. Methods: Sixty polo horses were equipped with inertial measurement units (IMUs) attached to the poll, and between the tubera sacrale. Six movement symmetry measures were calculated for vertical head and pelvic displacement during in-hand trot and compared with values for perfect symmetry, compared between left and right limb lame horses, and compared with published thresholds for lameness. Regression lines were calculated as a function of age of horse. Results: Based on 2 different sets of published asymmetry thresholds 52-53% of the horses were quantified with head movement asymmetry and 27-50% with pelvic movement asymmetry resulting in 60-67% of horses being classified with movement asymmetry outside published guideline values for either the forelimbs, hindlimbs or both. Neither forelimb nor hindlimb asymmetries were preferentially left or right sided, with directional asymmetry values across all horses not different from perfect symmetry and absolute values not different between left and right lame horses (P values >0.6 for all forelimb symmetry measures and >0.2 for all hindlimb symmetry measures). None of the symmetry parameters increased or decreased significantly with age. Conclusions: A large proportion of polo horses show gait asymmetries consistent with previously defined thresholds for lameness. These do not appear to be lateralised or associated with age.
© 2015 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2015-08-21 PubMed ID: 26037947DOI: 10.1111/evj.12467Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research study examined the movement patterns of polo horses to find any signs of lameness or asymmetry in their gaits. It found that a significant number of these horses possessed gait asymmetries within the defined thresholds for lameness. No significant associations were found between these asymmetries and the horses’ ages or whether they were left or right-lame.
Objective and Methodology of the Study
In this study, the main objective was to measure movement symmetry and lameness in a group of polo horses and explore any possible correlation with the horses’ ages. A total of sixty polo horses were included in this cross-sectional study:
- Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were placed on two specific locations on each horse – the poll (top of the horse’s head) and the tubera sacrale (along the horse’s backbone). These devices helped in tracking the horses’ movement.
- Six different movement symmetry parameters were computed to assess the vertical displacement of the head and pelvis during trotting.
- These measures of movement symmetry were then compared to the ideal symmetry values, between left and right, limb lame horses, and the recommended thresholds for lameness.
- With respect to each horse’s age, regression lines for the parameters were estimated.
Key Findings
The research revealed the following key findings:
- Depending on different sets of lameness thresholds, about 52-53% of the polo horses showed head movement asymmetry, while 27-50% displayed pelvic movement asymmetry.
- When the data for head and pelvic asymmetry was combined, it resulted in 60-67% of the polo horses demonstrating some movement asymmetry that was beyond the recommended guideline values for either forelimbs, hindlimbs, or both.
- No indication was found to suggest a preference for asymmetry to be either on the left or the right side (P values more than 0.6 for forelimbs and more than 0.2 for hindlimbs).
- No significant increase or decrease was observed in any of the symmetry parameters with respect to the horses’ age.
Conclusion
The research concluded that a substantial proportion of polo horses exhibit gait asymmetries, leading to lameness. The asymmetries do not seem to have a preference for being more on one side than the other (not lateralized) and do not appear to be associated with the horses’ ages. This might imply that factors other than age and lateralization could be responsible for these asymmetries.
Cite This Article
APA
Pfau T, Parkes RS, Burden ER, Bell N, Fairhurst H, Witte TH.
(2015).
Movement asymmetry in working polo horses.
Equine Vet J, 48(4), 517-522.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12467 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Structure and Motion Lab and Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK.
- Structure and Motion Lab and Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK.
- Structure and Motion Lab and Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK.
- Structure and Motion Lab and Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK.
- Structure and Motion Lab and Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK.
- Structure and Motion Lab and Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Accelerometry / instrumentation
- Accelerometry / veterinary
- Aging
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Female
- Forelimb / physiology
- Hindlimb / physiology
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses / physiology
- Lameness, Animal / diagnosis
- Locomotion
- Male
- Monitoring, Ambulatory / instrumentation
- Monitoring, Ambulatory / veterinary
- Sports
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Góss GC, Mozzaquatro FD, Machado IRL, Gomes EM, Martins NR, Duarte CA. Ultrasonographic measurement of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint in the Argentine Polo Horse. Braz J Vet Med 2025;47:e003125.
- Meistro F, Ralletti MV, Rinnovati R, Spadari A. Objective Evaluation of Gait Asymmetries in Traditional Racehorses During Pre-Race Inspection: Application of a Markerless AI System in Straight-Line and Lungeing Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 18;15(12).
- Siegers EW, Parmentier JIM, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Munsters CCBM, Serra Bragança FM. Gait kinematics at trot before and after repeated ridden exercise tests in young Friesian stallions during a fatiguing 10-week training program. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1456424.
- Haussler KK, le Jeune SS, MacKechnie-Guire R, Latif SN, Clayton HM. The Challenge of Defining Laterality in Horses: Is It Laterality or Just Asymmetry?. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 21;15(3).
- Marunova E, Hernlund E, Persson-Sjödin E. Effect of circle, surface type and stride duration on vertical head and pelvis movement in riding horses with pre-existing movement asymmetries in trot. PLoS One 2024;19(8):e0308996.
- Zetterberg E, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Hernlund E, Rhodin M. Prevalence of movement asymmetries in high-performing riding horses perceived as free from lameness and riders' perception of horse sidedness. PLoS One 2024;19(7):e0308061.
- Schumacher A, Gehlen H. Health of Polo Horses. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jun 8;14(12).
- Anderson KA, Morrice-West AV, Wong ASM, Walmsley EA, Fisher AD, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL. Poor Association between Facial Expression and Mild Lameness in Thoroughbred Trot-Up Examinations. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 23;13(11).
- Leclercq A, Lundblad J, Persson-Sjodin E, Ask K, Zetterberg E, Hernlund E, Haubro Andersen P, Rhodin M. Perceived sidedness and correlation to vertical movement asymmetries in young warmblood horses. PLoS One 2023;18(7):e0288043.
- Zetterberg E, Leclercq A, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Haubro Andersen P, Hernlund E, Rhodin M. Prevalence of vertical movement asymmetries at trot in Standardbred and Swedish Warmblood foals. PLoS One 2023;18(4):e0284105.
- Lawin FJ, Byström A, Roepstorff C, Rhodin M, Almlöf M, Silva M, Andersen PH, Kjellström H, Hernlund E. Is Markerless More or Less? Comparing a Smartphone Computer Vision Method for Equine Lameness Assessment to Multi-Camera Motion Capture. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 24;13(3).
- Maldonado MD, Parkinson SD, Story MR, Haussler KK. The Effect of Chiropractic Treatment on Limb Lameness and Concurrent Axial Skeleton Pain and Dysfunction in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 19;12(20).
- Bukhari SSUH, Rosanowski SM, McElligott AG, Parkes RSV. Welfare Concerns for Mounted Load Carrying by Working Donkeys in Pakistan. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:886020.
- Khan RZU, Rosanowski SM, Saleem W, Parkes RSV. Cross-Sectional Questionnaire of Donkey Owners and Farriers Regarding Farriery Practices in the Faisalabad Region of Pakistan. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 11;12(6).
- Bukhari SSUH, McElligott AG, Parkes RSV. Quantifying the Impact of Mounted Load Carrying on Equids: A Review. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 7;11(5).
- Pfau T, Noordwijk K, Sepulveda Caviedes MF, Persson-Sjodin E, Barstow A, Forbes B, Rhodin M. Head, withers and pelvic movement asymmetry and their relative timing in trot in racing Thoroughbreds in training. Equine Vet J 2018 Jan;50(1):117-124.
- Rhodin M, Egenvall A, Haubro Andersen P, Pfau T. Head and pelvic movement asymmetries at trot in riding horses in training and perceived as free from lameness by the owner. PLoS One 2017;12(4):e0176253.
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