Determining objective parameters to assess gait quality in Franches-Montagnes horses for ground coverage and over-tracking - Part 1: at walk

A I Gmel, E H Haraldsdottir, F M Serra Bragança, A M Cruz, M Neuditschko, M A Weishaupt

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Ground coverage and over-tracking are two gait quality traits describing the forward movement of the front respectively the hind limbs in relation to stride length and over-tracking distance. To investigate the complex interplay of different movement patterns in ground coverage and over-tracking, limb and body kinematics of 24 Franches-Montagnes (FM) stallions were measured with 3D optical motion capture (OMC) on a treadmill during an incremental speed test at the walk (1.4–2.0 m/s). The significance and amount of explained variance of kinematic parameters on stride length and over-tracking distance were estimated using linear mixed-effect models, with speed and horse as random effects. Two separate models were tested: a full model with all parameters measurable by OMC, and a reduced model with a subset of parameters also measurable with inertial measurement units (IMUs). The kinematic parameters were correlated to the subjective scores from six breeding experts to interpret their external validity. The parameter for ground coverage at the walk, explaining most of the variance in stride length, were the maximal forelimb retraction angle (11%) measured with OMC, and the range of pelvis pitch (10%) if measuring with IMUs. The latter was also the most relevant for quantifying over-tracking, explaining 24% to 33% of the variance in the over-tracking distance. The scores from most breeding experts were significantly correlated (r ≥ |0.41|) with the fore- and hind limb protraction angles, which reflect the textual definition of ground coverage and over-tracking. Both gait quality traits can be objectively quantified using either OMC or IMUs.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number104024
    Pages (from-to)1-10
    Number of pages10
    JournalJournal of Equine Veterinary Science
    Volume115
    Early online date29 May 2022
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

    Keywords

    • Equine
    • Walk
    • Speed
    • Stride length
    • Over-tracking distance
    • Breeding

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Determining objective parameters to assess gait quality in Franches-Montagnes horses for ground coverage and over-tracking - Part 1: at walk'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this