Description
Whilst the equine jump has been studied in the sagittal plane, there is limited information about movement in the transverse plane. Lateral movement during jumping was quantified and modelled against equine jumping biomechanics. 4 mares and 4 geldings fitted with anatomical markers, were video recorded loose jumping a grid exercise of three fences along a wall, culminating in a central vertical fence (0.8-1 m). Horses jumped the grid three times in both directions; starting direction was randomized (mean (± SD) speed: 7.2 (±0.79) m/s). Lateral movement was quantified in the transverse plane from forelimb push-off to hindlimb landing, using Simi motion 2D®. Pearson’s correlation investigated the effect of age. Population biases and sex differences were assessed using two-sided t-tests. Gaussian general linear models modelled lateral movement in relation to limb positions at take-off and landing and equine linear kinematics. Horse was not included as a random factor as it decreased model fit. All horses displayed lateral movement during jumping with a significant bias towards the right (P<0.0001), in both directions. Horses drifted right over 96% of jumps, demonstrating a mean (± SD) displacement of 0.24 (±0.2) m. A negative trend was observed between lateral movement and age (P=0.055), and mares drifted significantly more than geldings (Sex(g)R2=-0.168, P<0.001). Significant relationships were found between lateral movement, forelimb positions at take-off and landing (P=0.015; P=0.004), and wither height during suspension (P=0.022). Horses displayed significant lateral movement when jumping, influencing jump paths and footfall patterns with potential performance and health consequences.Period | Aug 2023 |
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Event title | 9th International Conference on Canine and Equine Locomotion |
Event type | Conference |
Location | Utrecht, NetherlandsShow on map |