Biomechanics of locomotion system in sport horses: Diagnosis of disorders and injury prevention: Biomechanics of locomotion system in sport horses

Olena Martynova

doi:10.62310/liab.v6i1.390

Authors

Olena Martynova Department of Information Technologies Odesa State Agrarian University 65012, 13 Panteleimonivska Str., Odesa, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8335-4658

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62310/liab.v6i1.390

Keywords:

Horse, Kinematic parameters, Stride length, Equipment, Tarsal joint, Inertial sensors

Abstract

This study hypothesised that integrated assessment of kinematic, load-distribution, thermal, and inertial parameters could distinguish clinically healthy sport horses from animals with subclinical or post-traumatic musculoskeletal disorders and support early identification of injury risk. The study employed kinematic analysis of movement parameters, assessment of strength characteristics using platforms for measuring support reaction force, thermography, high-frequency video gait analysis, and the use of inertial sensors. The study revealed statistically significant differences between clinically healthy horses, animals with subclinical lameness, and post- traumatic conditions. Stride length in horses with pathological conditions decreased by 10-15% compared with that in healthy horses (p < 0.01), while the stride frequency increased by 6-8 steps/min (p < 0.01). The vertical reaction force in healthy horses averaged 58% of body weight on the front limbs and 42% on the hind limbs, whereas in animals with chronic injuries, the distribution shifted to 65%/35% (p < 0.01). In groups with disorders, the load asymmetry coefficient ranged from 12% to 25%, compared with ≤5% in healthy animals (p < 0.001). Thermographic examination revealed local areas of hyperthermia above 1.5°C, which correlated with a decrease in the range of motion and clinical manifestations of pain (r = 0.85-0.93). Inertial sensors recorded a decrease in the amplitude of lumbar movement to 8.3° (p < 0.01) when an inappropriate equipment was used, while saddle correction and optimization of training contributed to the restoration of biomechanical parameters. The proposed prevention algorithm, combining monitoring, early diagnosis, correction and control, was associated with a 65% reduction in the observed frequency of injuries over six months; however, no control group was included, so a causal effect of the algorithm cannot be established. These findings support the use of integrated biomechanical monitoring for early detection of abnormalities and targeted prevention of injuries in sport horses.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Aharkova K, Sliusarenko D, Novytskyi V. (2023). Analysis of the prevalence of osteoarticular pathologies in horses based on the results of radiography. Scientific Bulletin of Veterinary Medicine 1(180): 133-141. https://doi.org/10.33245/2310-4902-2023-180-1-133-141

Anderson K, Morrice-West AV, Walmsley EA, Fisher AD, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL. (2022). Validation of inertial measurement units to detect and predict horse behaviour while stabled. Equine Veterinary Journal 55(6): 1128–1138. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13909

Calle-González N, Lo Feudo CM, Ferrucci F, Requena F, Stucchi L, Muñoz A. (2024). Objective assessment of equine locomotor symmetry using an inertial sensor system and artificial intelligence: A comparative study. Animals 14(6): 921. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060921

de Camargo Ferraz G. (2023). The next decade for sport horses will be the time of wearable technology: Wearable technology for sport horses. International Journal of Equine Science 2(2): 1–2. https://doi.org/10.64292/ijes.90

de Sousa NR, Luna SPL, Pizzigatti D, Martins MTA, Possebon FS, Aguiar ACS. (2017). Relationship between type and location of orthopaedic injuries and physical activity in horses. Ciencia Rural 47(2): e20151218. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20151218

de Souza AF, do Valle Zoppa AL. (2021). Proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis in horses: concepts, indications, and techniques. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science 58: e178586. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1678-4456.bjvras.2021.178588

Dittmann MT, Hess N, Arpagaus S, Müller-Quirin J, Weishaupt MA, Latif SN. (2022). Effects of different saddle pads on pressure exerted on the equine back by correctly fitting dressage saddles. Pferdeheilkunde 38(2): 100–108. https://doi.org/10.21836/pem20220201

Dörner CA. (2023). Locomotor injury morbidity data analysis in Chilean sport horses: A retrospective study (2016–2021). Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences 55(2): 137–141. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0719-81322023000200137

European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (ETS No. 123). (1986). https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-detail&treatynum=123

European Parliament and the Council. (2010). On the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes Text with EEA Relevance (Directive No. 2010/63/EU). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/63/oj/eng

Gmel AI, Haraldsdóttir EH, Serra-Bragança F, Lamas LP, Rosa TV, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Klecel W, Neuditchko M, Weishaupt MA. (2024). Inertial sensor data of horses from four breeds at walk and trot in hand on a straight line. Data in Brief 55: 110764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.110764

Hagen J, Jung FT, Brouwer J, Bos R. (2021). Detection of equine hoof motion using a hoof-mounted inertial measurement unit sensor compared with optoelectronic technique – A pilot study. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 101: 103454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103454

Hitchens PL, Whitton C. (2024). Epidemiology of orthopaedic injury and death in athletic horses. In: Hinchcliff KW, Kaneps AJ, Geor RJ, editors, Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery: Basic and Clinical Sciences of the Equine Athlete. W.B. Saunders, Pennsylvania, USA. Pp. 220–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7020-8370-9.00011-4

Hoffmann MF, Bernstorff M, Kreitz N, Roetman B, Schildhauer TA, Wenning KE. (2023). Horse-related injury patterns: A single center report. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research 18: 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-023-03549-3

Jaafar SE, Al-Bayti AAH, Abdullah SI. (2021). Using short-term high-power laser therapy in horse tendon injuries. Archives of Razi Institute 76(5): 1437–1444. https://doi.org/10.22092/ari.2021.356105.1779

Kulynych S, Kramarenko V, Zezekalo M, Omelchenko A, Avramenko N. (2022). Efficiency of orthopedic cleaning of horses’ hooves. Scientific Progress & Innovations 2(2): 223–231. https://doi.org/10.31210/visnyk2022.02.26

Kulynych SM, Omelchenko GO, Avramenko NO, Zezekalo MA, Karpenko IO. (2020). Studying the state of horse distal limb segment in the horse club “Astride Riding in Poltava”. Scientific Progress & Innovations 4: 210–217. https://doi.org/10.31210/visnyk2020.04.26

MacKechnie-Guire R, Fisher M, Mathie H, Kuczynska K, Fairfax V, Fisher D, Pfau T. (2021). A systematic approach to comparing thermal activity of the thoracic region and saddle pressure distribution beneath the saddle in non-lame sport horses. Animals 11(4): 1105. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041105

Mostafa MB, Elemmawy YM. (2020). Relationships between morphometric measurements and musculoskeletal disorders in jumping Thoroughbred horses. Journal of Equine Science 31(2): 23–27. https://doi.org/10.1294/jes.31.23

Neville EK, Hicks H, Neville CC. (2024). Epidemiology of horse trauma: A literature review. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery 50(3): 741–754. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-023-02436-0

Ortved KF. (2018). Regenerative medicine and rehabilitation for tendinous and ligamentous injuries in sport horses. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 34(2): 359–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2018.04.012

Paris A, Beccati F, Pepe M. (2021). Type, prevalence, and risk factors for the development of orthopaedic injuries in endurance horses during training and competition. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 258(10): 1109–1118. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.258.10.1109

Ramon T, Álvarez CBG, Carmona JU, Prades M. (2025). Effect of a single osteopathic manipulation of dysfunctional caudal cervical vertebrae in non-lame sport horses. Journal of Equine Rehabilitation 3: 100037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eqre.2025.100037

Reis IL, Lopes B, Sousa P, Sousa AC, Caseiro AR, Mendonça CM, Santos JM, Atayde LM, Alvites RD, Maurício AC. (2024). Equine musculoskeletal pathologies: clinical approaches and therapeutical perspectives – A review. Veterinary Sciences 11(5): 190. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11050190

Šemrov MZ, Přibylová L, Gobbo E. (2025). Task-specific morphological and kinematic differences in Lipizzan horses. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12: 1569067. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1569067

Shojaee A. (2023). Equine tendon mechanical behaviour: Prospects for repair and regeneration applications. Veterinary Medicine and Science 9(5): 2053–2069. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.1205

Sweeney D, Holmström M, Donohue KD, Lambert DH, Bayly WM. (2024). Using accelerometers to identify a high risk of catastrophic musculoskeletal injury in three racing thoroughbreds. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 262(9): 1242–1250. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.24.02.0114

Watts AE. (2023). Use of stem cells for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 39(3): 475–487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2023.07.003

Yildirim İG, Karaarslan S, Erkan A. (2025). Distribution of race- and training-related musculoskeletal injuries by track and location in thoroughbred and arabian racehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal 57(4): 878–888. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14457

Zetterberg E, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Hernlund E, Rhodin M (2024). Prevalence of movement asymmetries in high-performing riding horses perceived as free from lameness and riders’ perception of horse sidedness. PLOS One 19(7): e0308061. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308061