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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / The Effect of Training on Stride Duration in a Cohort of Two...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(7); 466; doi: 10.3390/ani9070466

The Effect of Training on Stride Duration in a Cohort of Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses.

Abstract: Objective gait monitoring is increasingly accessible to trainers. A more comprehensive understanding of 'normal' gait adaptations is required. Forty two-year-old thoroughbred racehorses were recruited when entering training and followed for 22 months. Gait analysis was performed by equipping each horse with an inertial measurement unit with inbuilt GPS (GPS-IMU) mounted on the dorsum. Horses were exercised as per their regular training regimen. Data were analysed using a linear mixed model. For two-year-old horses, there was a non-linear pattern of stride duration (SD) over time ( < 0.001) with SD decreasing initially and then 'flattening off' over time (linear and quadratic coefficients -0.29 ms/week and 0.006 ms/week). Horses showed an increase in SD of 2.21 ms ( < 0.001) per 100 m galloped, and over time, SD decreased by 0.04 ms ( < 0.001) with each 100 m galloped per week. Three-year-old horses overall showed no change in SD over time ( = 0.52), but those that had a period of time off showed a decrease in SD of -0.59 ms per week ( = 0.02). They showed an increase in SD of 1.99 ms ( < 0.001) per 100 m galloped, and horses that had a period of time off showed an increase in stride duration of 1.05 ms per 100 m galloped ( = 0.01) compared to horses which did not have time off. Horses demonstrate an adaptation to high-speed exercise over time. SD decreases with training when other factors are controlled for in naïve horses.
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Publication Date: 2019-07-22 PubMed ID: 31336595PubMed Central: PMC6680649DOI: 10.3390/ani9070466Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates how stride duration changes in thoroughbred racehorses with age and with the level of training, using an objective gait analysis method. The research found that stride duration decreases with training in younger, inexperienced horses, plateauing over time. In contrast, three-year-old horses showed no change in stride duration over time, though those with periods of rest did demonstrate a decrease.

Overview of the Study and Key Findings

  • The study was executed with a cohort of forty two-year-old thoroughbred racehorses over a period of 22 months. The main metric investigated was stride duration (SD), and a GPS-enabled inertial measurement unit was used to monitor the horses’ gait during their regular exercise sessions.
  • The main finding for the young two-year-old horses was that their SD demonstrated a non-linear pattern, initially decreasing and then leveling off over time. Specifically, for every 100 meters the horses galloped, there was an increase of 2.21 milliseconds in stride duration, and with each passing week, there was a 0.04-millisecond decrease for every 100 meters galloped.
  • On the other hand, the three-year-old horses overall did not show any significant change in SD over time. However, those that had a period of time off did show a decrease in SD, and an increase in SD was noted for rest periods longer than one week.

Implications and Significance of the Research

  • The research highlights the capability of modern technology such as GPS and inertial measurement units in providing quantifiable analysis of horse training, in this case, assessing adaptations in the horse’s gait over the course of training.
  • The findings provide valuable insight, notably that stride duration decreases with training in younger horses that are new to training and then plateaus with time. Understanding these patterns can give trainers a better understanding of what is ‘normal’ for the horse’s stride so they can identify and adjust when the horse is straining, which can prevent injuries.
  • Interestingly, older horses didn’t show a change in stride duration over time but had variation when they had time off from training. This again offers a good understanding to the trainers about the effects of rest period and age on the horses’ stride duration.
  • This research contributes to the optimization of training regimens, shedding light on the adaptations of the horses’ gait over time and how rest and age influence the stride duration.

Cite This Article

APA
Parkes RSV, Weller R, Pfau T, Witte TH. (2019). The Effect of Training on Stride Duration in a Cohort of Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel), 9(7), 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9070466

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 7
PII: 466

Researcher Affiliations

Parkes, Rebecca S V
  • Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. reparkes@cityu.edu.hk.
  • Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK. reparkes@cityu.edu.hk.
Weller, Renate
  • Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK.
Pfau, Thilo
  • Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK.
Witte, Thomas H
  • Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK.

Grant Funding

  • VET/RS/245 / Horserace Betting Levy Board

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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