Vertical ground reaction force-time histories of sound Warmblood horses trotting on a treadmill.

This study aimed to gather data on the ground reaction force (GRF) and coordination between limbs in healthy horses while trotting on a treadmill, with the goal of creating a baseline for comparing these factors in lame horses.

Objectives and Method of the Study

• The objective was to establish a standard ground reaction force (GRF) and coordination between limbs data for healthy horses trotting on a treadmill. This data will be useful as a benchmark to assess and treat lame horses.
• The researchers observed 30 Warmblood riding horses, known for their wide natural gaits, as they trotted on an instrumented treadmill. This treadmill was capable of recording data from all four limbs simultaneously, for both force and time.
• A total of 912 stride cycles per limb were analyzed in terms of force, time, and spatial parameters and then averaged. This provided an ample amount of stride data for researchers to analyze.

Results

• The shape and amplitude of the force curves generated by the treadmill closely mirrored traces recorded with a stationary force plate, establishing that the treadmill was providing accurate and reliable data.
• The horses exhibited a high degree of symmetry across all parameters being measured. The left-right asymmetry ranged between +/-1.8-6.8%, establishing the 95% confidence interval for their measurements.
• There was no significant difference between the mean values of the left and right sides, which further confirms the results showing a high degree of symmetry.
• The variance within individuals didn’t exceed 2.7%, which means the measures from each individual horse were relatively close and consistent. However, the variance between horses, or inter-individual variance, ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 times greater than the intra-individual variance, highlighting the individual differences between each horse.

Conclusion

• The treadmill equipped with sensors offered several advantages for the study, such as simultaneous data acquisition from all four feet over repeated strides, and controlled velocities leading to consistent gait patterns. These benefits allow for an accurate clinical assessment of a horse’s locomotion, contributing to the treatment and understanding of lameness in horses.

The comprehensive data gathered from this study will serve as a benchmark for future investigations around the locomotion of horses, particularly in efforts to diagnose and treat lameness.