PloS one2024; 19(7); e0308061; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308061

Prevalence of movement asymmetries in high-performing riding horses perceived as free from lameness and riders’ perception of horse sidedness.

Zetterberg, E
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Persson-Sjodin, E
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Lundblad, J
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Hernlund, E
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Rhodin, M

Abstract: A high proportion of horses in training, perceived as free from lameness by their owner, exhibit vertical movement asymmetries. These types of asymmetries are sensitive measures of lameness, but their specificity as indicators of orthopaedic pathology or locomotor function remains unclear. Equine athletes performing at a high level could be assumed to exhibit a higher degree of movement symmetry compared with the general horse population, but this has not been confirmed. This study investigated the prevalence of movement asymmetries in horses performing at a high level in three equestrian disciplines; show jumping, dressage and eventing, as well as the association between riders' perception of horse sidedness and said movement asymmetries. Using an inertial measurement unit-based system (Equinosis), gait analysis was performed on 123 high-performing horses. The mean difference between the two vertical minimum and between the two maximum values of each stride was recorded for the head (HDmin, HDmax) and pelvis (PDmin, PDmax). The horses were defined as asymmetric if one or multiple asymmetry parameters exceeded an absolute trial mean of: >6mm for HDmin or HDmax, and >3mm for PDmin or PDmax, with standard deviation less than the respective mean value. Based on the results, 70% of the horses were classified as asymmetric, which is similar to previous findings for young riding horses and horses competing at a lower level. More than one-third of these high-performing horses had asymmetry values of similar magnitude to those seen in clinically lame horses. No clear associations were observed between rider-perceived sidedness and the vertical movement asymmetry values, indicating that the perceived unevenness between sides is not a determinant of vertical movement asymmetry. Longitudinal studies on movement asymmetries in relation to training intensity and full clinical examinations with local or systemic analgesic testing are desired as further research to determine whether these movement asymmetries indicate a welfare problem.

Copyright: © 2024 Zetterberg et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Publication Date: 2024-07-30 PubMed ID: 39078818PubMed Central: PMC11288442DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308061Google Scholar: Lookup

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This research investigates the prevalence of movement asymmetries in high-performing horses, often serving as indicators for lameness or orthopedic issues, despite their owners perceiving them as free from any such condition. It also studies the association between riders’ perceived sidedness of these horses and their vertical movement asymmetry.

Research Methodology

The research involved an in-depth analysis of these asymmetries in horses that participated in high-level equestrian pursuits, such as show jumping, dressage, and eventing.
An innovative inertial measurement unit-based device, named Equinosis, was used for gait analysis. The tool recorded the minute differences between the minimum and maximum vertical movements for every stride of the horses being observed.
Parameters were established for labelling horses as ‘asymmetric’. If the asymmetry parameters went over an agreed trial mean (for example, >6mm for head movement and >3mm for pelvis movement), the horse was considered asymmetric.
The study involved 123 high-performing horses, and meticulous records were kept for both head and pelvis movements for most accurate results.

Findings and observations

The study revealed that 70% of these high-performing horses could be defined as asymmetric under the established parameters, a finding that aligns with previous studies involving young or lower-level competing horses.
Alarmingly, this research also found that about one-third of these high-performing horses exhibited asymmetry values that could be equated to those observed in clinically lame horses.
The research also found no obvious associations between rider-perceived sidedness (or unevenness between sides as perceived by the rider) and the actual vertical movement asymmetry of horses. This observation indicates that rider perception does not necessarily point to existing vertical movement asymmetry.

Implications and future research

The widespread presence of such asymmetries among high-performing horses may point to potential welfare issues, thus requiring further research.
Further studies are recommended to evaluate these movement asymmetries in relation to the intensity of training and clinical examinations. This would entail employing local or systemic analgesic testing to address the issue from various perspectives.

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APA

Zetterberg E, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Hernlund E, Rhodin M. (2024). Prevalence of movement asymmetries in high-performing riding horses perceived as free from lameness and riders’ perception of horse sidedness. PLoS One, 19(7), e0308061. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308061