Water depth modifies back kinematics of horses during water treadmill exercise.

The research article explores how water depth during water treadmill exercise affects the back kinematics of horses, particularly in relation to the thoracolumbar movement ranges – an essential insight for designing effective <a href="/equine-rehabilitation-guide/" title="Equine Rehabilitation Programs: What to Expect When Your Horse is Recovering – [Guide]”>rehabilitation programmes for horses that are recovering from back or hindlimb issues.

Objective and Methodology

The main aim of this study was to measure the flexion-extension range of motion (FE ROM) of the thoracolumbar spine and pelvic vertical displacement of horses under different conditions. 14 healthy horses were made to walk on a water treadmill at speeds of 0.8m/s for 3 minutes at 4 different water depths: hoof (control), metatarsophalangeal joint (low), tarsal joint (medium), and femoropatellar joint (high).

Skin surface markers were placed on various points – T6, T10, T13, T18, L3, L5, and S3 – to measure the FE ROM, minimum and maximum angular motion pattern values (AMPmin and AMPmax) for T10, T13, T18, L3, and L5. The researchers also placed markers on the left and right tuber coxae of the horses to obtain measurements of pelvic vertical displacement. Statistical methods such as Friedman’s tests and post hoc Wilcoxon’s signed ranks test were used to analyse the effects of water depth on the chosen variables.

Results

The research found that the FE ROM of T10, T13, T18, and L3 was significantly greater when the horses walked at high depths compared to controls. Moreover, T13 AMPmin was significantly lower and L3 AMPmax significantly greater in high water compared to control conditions.

• The FE ROM of T10 (8.4°), T13 (8.1°), T18 (6.9°), and L3 (6.4°) at high depth was greater than the control which had values of 5.5, 5.7, 5.1, and 5.1°, respectively.
• In high water, T13 AMPmin was noted at -3.0° compared to 0.1° in control settings.
• Similarly, L3 AMPmax was also greater in high water (-1.9°) than control conditions (-4.8°).

However, there was no significant relationship between the pelvic vertical displacement and the water depth.

Conclusion

The research concluded that walking in high water leads to cranial thoracic extension and thoracolumbar flexion when compared to walking in water at hoof depth. These degrees of change in the horses’ posture should be taken into account when tailoring rehabilitation programmes, especially for horses with back and/or hindlimb issues.