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Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)2001; 162(2); 153-157; doi: 10.1053/tvjl.2001.0593

The influence of lameness on equine stride length consistency.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of orthopaedic pain on the variation of stride length as a kinematic system-parameter in 21 horses with forelimb lameness. Data were collected while the horses were trotting on a treadmill during a minimum of 12 motion cycles, both before and after intra-articular or perineural anaesthesia. Stride length was assessed for each motion cycle, and the mean and standard deviation were calculated for each condition. Forelimb lameness was documented as percentage of asymmetry of vertical head movement. With significant decrease of forelimb lameness after regional anaesthesia, the SD of stride length increased significantly (+0.35%, P< 0.05). Our results show that in the presence of orthopaedic pain horses keep stride variability low, possibly because the lame horse employs an optimum compensatory mechanism to reduce the pain in the affected limb, and every deviation from this pattern increases pain.
Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2001-09-05 PubMed ID: 11531399DOI: 10.1053/tvjl.2001.0593Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 study investigates how lameness in horses affects the consistency of their stride length. It found that horses with orthopaedic pain tend to maintain lower stride variability, likely as a compensation technique to minimise pain in the affected limb.

Objective and Methodology

  • The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of orthopaedic pain on the variation of stride length in horses suffering from forelimb lameness.
  • A total of 21 horses with forelimb lameness were used in the study.
  • Data was collected when the horses were trotting on a treadmill for at least 12 motion cycles, before and after the administration of intra-articular or perineural anaesthesia.
  • Stride length was measured for each motion cycle, and the average and standard deviation were determined for each condition.

Findings

  • Lameness in the forelimb was quantified as the percentage of asymmetry in vertical head movement.
  • The researchers observed that the application of regional anaesthesia resulted in a significant reduction of forelimb lameness. In parallel with this decrease in lameness, there was a significant increase in the standard deviation of stride length (+0.35%, P< 0.05).

Interpretation

  • The results indicate that horses experiencing orthopaedic pain maintain a relatively low variability in their stride length.
  • This could be because the lame horse adopts an optimal compensatory mechanism to ease the pain in the affected limb, and any deviation from this pattern potentially amplifies the pain.
  • The findings suggest that stride variability in horses could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool to assess pain or discomfort due to lameness. However, further research is required to validate this hypothesis.

Cite This Article

APA
Peham C, Licka T, Girtler D, Scheidl M. (2001). The influence of lameness on equine stride length consistency. Vet J, 162(2), 153-157. https://doi.org/10.1053/tvjl.2001.0593

Publication

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
ISSN: 1090-0233
NlmUniqueID: 9706281
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 162
Issue: 2
Pages: 153-157

Researcher Affiliations

Peham, C
  • Clinic for Orthopaedics in Ungulates, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, J. Baumanngasse 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
Licka, T
    Girtler, D
      Scheidl, M

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Biomechanical Phenomena
        • Exercise Test
        • Female
        • Forelimb
        • Gait / physiology
        • Horses / physiology
        • Lameness, Animal / physiopathology
        • Male
        • Reproducibility of Results

        Citations

        This article has been cited 10 times.
        1. Hobbs SJ, Serra Braganca FM, Rhodin M, Hernlund E, Peterson M, Clayton HM. Evaluating Overall Performance in High-Level Dressage Horse-Rider Combinations by Comparing Measurements from Inertial Sensors with General Impression Scores Awarded by Judges. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 2;13(15).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13152496pubmed: 37570304google scholar: lookup
        2. 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.
          doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284105pubmed: 37023102google scholar: lookup
        3. Hardeman AM, Egenvall A, Serra Bragança FM, Koene MHW, Swagemakers JH, Roepstorff L, van Weeren R, Byström A. Movement asymmetries in horses presented for prepurchase or lameness examination. Equine Vet J 2022 Mar;54(2):334-346.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.13453pubmed: 33862666google scholar: lookup
        4. Much ML, Leatherwood JL, Martinez RE, Silvers BL, Basta CF, Gray LF, Bradbery AN. Evaluation of an oral joint supplement on gait kinematics and biomarkers of cartilage metabolism and inflammation in mature riding horses. Transl Anim Sci 2020 Jul;4(3):txaa150.
          doi: 10.1093/tas/txaa150pubmed: 32968713google scholar: lookup
        5. 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.
          doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176253pubmed: 28441406google scholar: lookup
        6. Currah JM, Hendrick SH, Stookey JM. The behavioral assessment and alleviation of pain associated with castration in beef calves treated with flunixin meglumine and caudal lidocaine epidural anesthesia with epinephrine. Can Vet J 2009 Apr;50(4):375-82.
          pubmed: 19436444
        7. Corbally AF, Mulligan FJ, Sweeney T, Fahey AG. Phenotypic Associations Between Linearly Scored Traits and Sport Horse Auction Sales Price in Ireland. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 29;15(15).
          doi: 10.3390/ani15152227pubmed: 40805017google scholar: lookup
        8. 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).
          doi: 10.3390/s25041095pubmed: 40006323google scholar: lookup
        9. Bogossian PM, Nattala U, Wong ASM, Morrice-West AV, Zhang GZ, Rana P, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL. A machine learning approach to identify stride characteristics predictive of musculoskeletal injury, enforced rest and retirement in Thoroughbred racehorses. Sci Rep 2024 Nov 22;14(1):28967.
          doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79071-1pubmed: 39578597google scholar: lookup
        10. Kallerud AS, Marques-Smith P, Bendiksen HK, Fjordbakk CT. Objective movement asymmetry in horses is comparable between markerless technology and sensor-based systems. Equine Vet J 2025 Jan;57(1):115-125.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14089pubmed: 38566453google scholar: lookup
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