Biokinematic differences between riding horses judged as good and poor at the trot

Abstract

Summary The trotting gait of 4 approved Swedish Warmblood stallions with a mean gait score ≥8.67 (maximum score = 10) at official performance tests and 4 horses with poor gaits (mean gait score ≤6.5) was recorded by high speed film (250 frames/s). Angular patterns and hoof trajectories of the left fore and hind limbs were analysed and presented as mean and standard deviation curves. The good horses had longer stride duration (p<0.001) and larger positive diagonal advanced placement (p<0.01). The swing phase retraction in the forelimbs was longer in the good horses. The most important differences in the forelimb angular patterns were found in the elbow and carpal joint angles. They were considerably more flexed in the good horses at the beginning of the swing phase retraction. Larger decrease of the pelvis inclination, increase of the femur inclination and larger flexion of the hock and hind fetlock joints during the stance phase were correlated with high trot scores. This indicates that storage of elastic strain energy during the stance phase may be important for the elasticity, energy and propulsion in trot.