Veterinary Archives, Vol. 91 No. 2, 2021.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24099/vet.arhiv.0907
Evaluation of the stance phases of warmblood sport horses on soft and hard surfaces by infrared optical sensors
Ozan Gündemir
; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey
Dilek Olğun Erdikmen
; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey
Çağla Parkan Yaramış
; Equine and Equine Training Program, Vocational School of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assertain the differences in walking time of sport horses by investigating their stance phases on soft versus hard surfaces using infrared sensors. A total of 15 warmblood sport horses were used in the study. Three different stages of the stance phase were examined, including initial contact, foot flat and propulsion, alongside assessment of walking pace and step-length. It was observed that the horses were inclined to walk more slowly on soft surfaces compared to hard ground. The amount of time spent in the foot flat position constituted the majority of the stance phase on both surfaces. Propulsion length during the stance phase was shorter on soft surfaces in comparison to hard ground. While the ratio of contact length in forelimbs was lower on hard ground compared to soft surfaces, in hind limbs this ratio was higher on hard ground. Objective data obtained through gait analysis systems are thought to serve as a potential auxiliary diagnostic tool in diseases associated with the locomotor system manifested by lameness, particularly in equine veterinary medicine. In the future, the relevant systems that could offer rapid results through current technology are anticipated to provide accurate preliminary assumptions to evaluate the potential of horses regarding their walking, trotting, and leaping capacity before competitions through such studies.
Keywords
gait analysis; infrared optic sensors; stance phase; walk; horse
Hrčak ID:
258443
URI
Publication date:
8.6.2021.
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