The Efficacy of Intermittent Long-term Bell Boot Application for the Correction of Muscle Asymmetry in Equine Subjects.

The research studied how horse’s muscle imbalance can be improved by using a light-weight, loose-fitting bell boot as part of a rehabilitation process. The effect was measured using acoustic myography over a period of 6 weeks.

Objective and Methodology

• The research aimed to explore the possibility of correcting muscle imbalance in horses using proprioceptive training intervention, specifically by applying lightweight and loosely fitting bell boots.
• In the experiment, eight horses were subjected to this training over a 60-minute period every 3 days for 6 weeks.
• Acoustic myography (AMG) was used to measure the effect of the treatment. This technique records the coordination, spatial and temporal summation of muscle contractions.
• Measures were recorded at the beginning of the trial (baseline) and at the end of the trial and were followed by a set procedure of physical activity.

Results

• At the start, walking, trotting, and cantering during a left-hand circle revealed a slight but significant asymmetry between the left and right hind limb muscles in the horses.
• After the 6-week proprioception training, this imbalance improved, indicating the success of the training program.
• For the right-hand circle, which revealed no significant asymmetry during walk, trot, and canter at the start, showed no change after 6 weeks of training at the walk and trot.
• However, an imbalance was observed during cantering in the right-hand circle, a result which the researchers attribute to overcompensation.

Conclusion

• Overall, the research demonstrated that functional musculoskeletal asymmetry during periods of activity in horses can be accurately detected using AMG.
• More importantly, it revealed an association between a program of proprioceptive training and an improvement in muscular imbalance in equine subjects.

Implication

• The findings suggest a potential role of proprioceptive training, using lightweight loose-fitting bell boots, in the correction of muscle imbalance in horses, which may be particularly applicable in the field of equine athletics and rehabilitation.