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Differential rotational movement and symmetry values of the thoracolumbosacral region in high-level dressage horses when trotting.

ABSTRACT: High-level dressage horses regularly perform advanced movements, requiring coordination and force transmission between front and hind limbs across the thoracolumbosacral region. This study aimed at quantifying kinematic differences in dressage horses when ridden in sitting trot-i.e. with additional load applied in the thoracolumbar region-compared with trotting in-hand. Inertial sensors were glued on to the midline of the thoracic (T) and lumbar (L) spine at T5, T13, T18, L3 and middle of the left and right tubera sacrale of ten elite dressage horses (Mean±SD), age 11±1 years, height 1.70±0.10m and body mass 600±24kg; first trotted in-hand, then ridden in sitting trot on an arena surface by four Grand Prix dressage riders. Straight-line motion cycles were analysed using a general linear model (random factor: horse; fixed factor: exercise condition; covariate: stride time, Bonferroni post hoc correction: P<0.05). Differential roll, pitch and yaw angles between adjacent sensors were calculated. In sitting trot, compared to trotting in-hand, there was increased pitch (mean±S.D), (in-hand, 3.9 (0.5°, sitting trot 6.3 (0.3°, P = <0.0001), roll (in-hand, 7.7 (1.1°, sitting trot 11.6 (0.9°, P = 0.003) and heading values (in-hand, 4.2 (0.8), sitting trot 9.5 (0.6°, P = <0.0001) in the caudal thoracic and lumbar region (T18-L3) and a decrease in heading values (in-hand, 7.1 (0.5°, sitting trot 5.2 (0.3°, P = 0.01) in the cranial thoracic region (T5-T13). Kinematics of the caudal thoracic and lumbar spine are influenced by the rider when in sitting trot, whilst lateral bending is reduced in the cranial thoracic region. This biomechanical difference with the addition of a rider, emphasises the importance of observing horses during ridden exercise, when assessing them as part of a loss of performance assessment.

SUBMITTER: MacKechnie-Guire R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8101941 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:In trotting horses, movement asymmetry is associated with ground reaction force asymmetry. In humans, limb length differences influence contralateral force production. Here we investigate whether horses, in immediate reaction to limb length changes, show movement asymmetry adaptations consistent with reported force differences. Aim of this study was to quantify pelvic and compensatory head and withers movement asymmetry as a function of limb length changes after application of orthotic lifts. In this experimental study movement asymmetry of eleven trotting horses was calculated from vertical displacement of poll, withers, sacrum and left and right tuber coxae with inertial sensors. Horses were assessed in-hand under 5 conditions (all with hind limb boots): without orthotic lifts, and with a 15mm or 30mm orthotic lift applied to the left hind or right hind. A linear mixed model investigated the influence of orthotic lift condition (P<0.05, pairwise posthoc Bonferroni correction). Pelvic movement asymmetry showed increased pelvic downward movement during stance of the shorter limb and increased pelvic upward movement during and after stance of the longer limb (P<0.001) with asymmetry changes of 3-7mm (4-10mm) for 15mm (30mm) lifts. Hip hike (tuber coxae movement asymmetry) was unaffected (P = 0.348). Head and withers movement asymmetry were affected less consistently (2 of 3 respectively 1 of 3 head or withers parameters). The small sample size of the study reduced generalizability, no direct force measurements were conducted and only immediate effects of orthotic lifts were assessed with no re-assessments days or weeks after. Conclusions about mechanical consequences (weight bearing, pushoff) are based on published movement-force associations. Pelvic movement asymmetry with an artificial change in limb length through application of an orthotic lift indicates increased weight support with the shorter limb and increased pushoff with the longer limb. This may be of relevance for the management of horses with different hoof shapes between contralateral limbs, for example some chronically lame horse.

Project description:Detailed knowledge of how a rider's seating style and riding on a circle influences the movement symmetry of the horse's head and pelvis may aid rider and trainer in an early recognition of low grade lameness. Such knowledge is also important during both subjective and objective lameness evaluations in the ridden horse in a clinical setting. In this study, inertial sensors were used to assess how different rider seating styles may influence head and pelvic movement symmetry in horses trotting in a straight line and on the circle in both directions. A total of 26 horses were subjected to 15 different conditions at trot: three unridden conditions and 12 ridden conditions where the rider performed three different seating styles (rising trot, sitting trot and two point seat). Rising trot induced systematic changes in movement symmetry of the horses. The most prominent effect was decreased pelvic rise that occurred as the rider was actively rising up in the stirrups, thus creating a downward momentum counteracting the horses push off. This mimics a push off lameness in the hindlimb that is in stance when the rider sits down in the saddle during the rising trot. On the circle, the asymmetries induced by rising trot on the correct diagonal counteracted the circle induced asymmetries, rendering the horse more symmetrical. This finding offers an explanation to the equestrian tradition of rising on the 'correct diagonal.' In horses with small pre-existing movement asymmetries, the asymmetry induced by rising trot, as well as the circular track, attenuated or reduced the horse's baseline asymmetry, depending on the sitting diagonal and direction on the circle. A push off hindlimb lameness would be expected to increase when the rider sits during the lame hindlimb stance whereas an impact hindlimb lameness would be expected to decrease. These findings suggest that the rising trot may be useful for identifying the type of lameness during subjective lameness assessment of hindlimb lameness. This theory needs to be studied further in clinically lame horses.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The main criteria for lameness assessment in horses are head movement for forelimb lameness and pelvic movement for hindlimb lameness. However, compensatory head nod in horses with primary hindlimb lameness is a well-known phenomenon. This compensatory head nod movement can be easily misinterpreted as a sign of primary ipsilateral forelimb lameness. Therefore, discriminating compensatory asymmetries from primary directly pain-related movement asymmetries is a prerequisite for successful lameness assessment. OBJECTIVES:To investigate the association between head, withers and pelvis movement asymmetry in horses with induced forelimb and hindlimb lameness. STUDY DESIGN:Experimental study. METHODS:In 10 clinically sound Warmblood riding horses, forelimb and hindlimb lameness were induced using a sole pressure model. The horses were then trotted on a treadmill. Three-dimensional optical motion capture was used to collect kinematic data from reflective markers attached to the poll, withers and tubera sacrale. The magnitude and side (left or right) of the following symmetry parameters, vertical difference in minimum position, maximum position and range-up were calculated for head, withers, and pelvis. Mixed models were used to analyse data from induced forelimb and hindlimb lameness. RESULTS:For each mm increase in pelvic asymmetry in response to hindlimb lameness induction, withers movement asymmetry increased by 0.35-0.55 mm, but towards the contralateral side. In induced forelimb lameness, for each mm increase in head movement asymmetry, withers movement asymmetry increased by 0.05-0.10 mm, in agreement with the head movement asymmetry direction, both indicating lameness in the induced forelimb. MAIN LIMITATIONS:Results must be confirmed in clinically lame horses trotting overground. CONCLUSIONS:The vertical asymmetry pattern of the withers discriminated a head nod associated with true forelimb lameness from the compensatory head movement asymmetry caused by primary hindlimb lameness. Measuring movement symmetry of the withers may, thus, aid in determining primary lameness location.

Project description:BackgroundLocomotion results from the generation of ground reaction forces (GRF) that cause translations of the center of mass (COM) and generate moments that rotate the body around the COM. The trot is a diagonally-synchronized gait performed by horses at intermediate locomotor speeds. Passage is a variant of the trot performed by highly-trained dressage horses. It is distinguished from trot by having a slow speed of progression combined with great animation of the limbs in the swing phase. The slow speed of passage challenges the horse's ability to control the sagittal-plane moments around the COM. Footfall patterns and peak GRF are known to differ between passage and trot, but their effects on balance management, which we define here as the ability to control nose-up/nose-down pitching moments around the horse's COM to maintain a state of equilibrium, are not known. The objective was to investigate which biomechanical variables influence pitching moments around the COM in passage.MethodsThree highly-trained dressage horses were captured by a 10-camera motion analysis system (120 Hz) as they were ridden in passage over four force platforms (960 Hz). A full-body marker set was used to track the horse's COM and measure balance variables including total body center of pressure (COP), pitching moments, diagonal dissociation timing, peak force production, limb protraction-retraction, and trunk posture. A total of twenty passage steps were extracted and partial correlation (accounting for horse) was used to investigate significant (P < 0.05) relationships between variables.ResultsHindlimb mean protraction-retraction correlated significantly with peak hindlimb propulsive forces (R = 0.821; P < 0.01), mean pitching moments (R = 0.546, P = 0.016), trunk range of motion, COM craniocaudal location and diagonal dissociation time (P < 0.05).DiscussionPitching moments around the COM were controlled by a combination of kinematic and kinetic adjustments that involve coordinated changes in GRF magnitudes, GRF distribution between the diagonal limb pairs, and the moment arms of the vertical GRFs. The moment arms depend on hoof placements relative to the COM, which were adjusted by changing limb protraction-retraction angles. Nose-up pitching moments could also be increased by providing a larger hindlimb propulsive GRF.

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Differential rotational movement and symmetry values of the thoracolumbosacral region in high-level dressage horses when trotting.

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