Trunk kinematics and limb movement of horses walking backwards and forwards in hand and lifting a single limb.

This research examined how horses’ body movements change when walking forward, walking backward, and lifting one leg at a time. The study found significant differences in trunk movement and limb placement between the different exercises.

Objective and Methodology of the Research

• The aim of the research was to study the trunk movements of horses while they perform different exercises, namely, walking forward (FW), walking backward (BW), and lifting a (single limb SLL).
• Nine horses were studied, and their movements were measured by placing skin markers on their body that were captured by ten high-speed video cameras.
• The researchers calculated various angles and distances related to the horse’s body position and movement. Importantly, these calculations included the angles of the horse’s trunk in the sagittal and horizontal planes, maximum hoof height during the swing phase, and the horizontal distance between the hoof and the midline of the horse’s body during the swing and stance phases.

Findings

• The study found that the dorsoventral (top-bottom direction) range of motion (ROM) and maximum flexion was significantly larger in BW than in FW. However, the laterolateral (side-to-side) ROM was significantly smaller during the hindlimb swing phase in BW and SLL compared to FW.
• The ROM of the section from the 16th thoracic vertebra to the 2nd and 4th sacral vertebrae (T16S2S4) was smaller in BW than FW, both during the stance and swing phases of the hindlimbs, and throughout the movement, compared to when the horse was moving forwards.
• When the horse was lifting a single limb, the height reached by the hind hoof was significantly higher than when walking forward. Additionally, when walking backward, the distance between the midline of the horse’s body and the hooves was significantly larger than when walking forward.
• The researchers suggested that when horses walk backward, they adapt their body movements to stabilize themselves. This may be due to the fact that walking backward entails a degree of uncertainty or insecurity for the horse. The increased lumbosacral stabilization and the larger area of support created by the fore- and hindlimbs may be strategies employed by the horse to enhance body stabilization.