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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / The laterality of the gallop gait in Thoroughbred racehorses...
PloS one2018; 13(6); e0198545; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198545

The laterality of the gallop gait in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Abstract: Laterality can be observed as side biases in locomotory behaviour which, in the horse, manifest inter alia as forelimb preferences, most notably in the gallop. The current study investigated possible leading-leg preferences at the population and individual level in Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 2095) making halt-to-gallop transitions. Videos of flat races in the UK (n = 350) were studied to record, for each horse, the lead-leg preference of the initial stride into gallop from the starting stalls. Races from clockwise (C) and anti-clockwise (AC) tracks were chosen alternately at random to ensure equal representation. Course direction, horse age and sex, position relative to the inside rail and finishing position were also noted. On C courses, the left/right ratio was 1.15, which represents a significant bias to the left (z = -2.29, p = 0.022), while on AC courses it was 0.92 (z = 0.51, p = 0.610). In both course directions, there was no significant difference between winning horses that led with the left leading leg versus the right (C courses, z = -1.32, p = 0.19 and AC courses, z = -0.74, p = 0.46). Of the 2,095 horses studied 51.26% led with their L fore and 48.74% with their R, with no statistically significant difference (z = -1.16, p = 0.25). Therefore, there was no evidence of a population level motor laterality. Additionally, 22 male and 22 female horses were randomly chosen for repeated measures of leading leg preference. A laterality index was calculated for each of the 44 horses studied using the repeated measures: 22 exhibited right laterality (of which two were statistically significant) and 21 exhibited left laterality (eight being statistically significant); one horse was ambilateral. Using these data, left lateralized horses were more strongly lateralized on an individual level than the right lateralized horses (t = 2.28, p = 0.03, DF = 34) and mares were more left lateralized than males (t = 2.4, p = 0.03, DF = 19).
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Publication Date: 2018-06-08 PubMed ID: 29883459PubMed Central: PMC5993273DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198545Google 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 study investigates whether Thoroughbred racehorses have a preference for using one forelimb over the other when transitioning from a halt to a gallop. The study found no significant preference at the population level but verified individual horses may favor one limb over the other, with mares more likely to favor the left limb.

Methodology

  • The researchers made use of videos of 2,095 Thoroughbred racehorses participating in 350 flat races in the UK.
  • The study recorded the lead-leg preference of each horse’s initial stride into a gallop from the starting point.
  • To ensure a balanced study, the course direction was alternated between clockwise and anti-clockwise, and also accounted for horse age and sex, position relative to the inside rail, and the finishing position of each horse.

Findings

  • The study found that in clockwise courses, there was a slight, statistically significant preference for the left leg. However, in anti-clockwise courses, there was no significant preference.
  • When examining the horses individually, the study found that about half preferred to lead with their left forelimb and the other half with their right forelimb. There was no statistically significant overall preference at the population level.
  • In a more detailed examination of 44 horses which had repeat measurements, it was found that some individuals did display a tendency towards laterality, though most did not demonstrate a statistically significant preference.
  • The majority of the horses that were found to be lateralized to one side or the other were more strongly lateralized if they preferred their left forelimb rather than their right.
  • Significantly, the mares in the sub-study group were found to be more likely to favor their left forelimb than the males.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The study’s findings suggest that while there is no apparent preference at the population level for Thoroughbred racehorses to favor one forelimb over the other during a halt-to-gallop transition, certain individual horses do exhibit this characteristic.
  • The study further suggests that mares may have a stronger tendency towards left-limb preference than males.
  • The implications of these findings are potentially significant for training and injury preventative measures in racehorses.

Cite This Article

APA
Cully P, Nielsen B, Lancaster B, Martin J, McGreevy P. (2018). The laterality of the gallop gait in Thoroughbred racehorses. PLoS One, 13(6), e0198545. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198545

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 6
Pages: e0198545

Researcher Affiliations

Cully, Paulette
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
Nielsen, Brian
  • Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Lancaster, Bryony
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
Martin, Jessica
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
McGreevy, Paul
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Forelimb / physiology
  • Gait / physiology
  • Horses / physiology
  • Locomotion / physiology
  • Male
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Sex Factors

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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