Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T11:14:40.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Two-dimensional kinematics of the flat-walking Tennessee Walking Horse yearling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

MC Nicodemus  and
HM Holt
MC Nicodemus*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 9815, MS, 39762, USA
HM Holt
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Auburn University, 210 Upchurch Hall, AL, 36849, USA
*
*[email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Gaited horse research is limited, with the majority of the research focusing on the measurement of the temporal variables of adult-gaited horses. The objective was to measure the fore and hind limb kinematics of the flat-walking Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) yearling. Four TWH yearlings were filmed at 60 Hz being led at a consistent flat walk that followed breed standards. Reflective markers attached along palpation points of the joint centres of the fore and hind limbs were tracked for five strides for each yearling. During stance, the elbow (154±3°), carpal (185±3°), fore (222±9 and 221±9°) and hind fetlocks (216±11°), hip (111±3°), stifle (157±4°) and tarsal (167±9°) joints demonstrated peak extension with the forelimb fetlock joint having double peaks of extension. During swing, the same joints demonstrated peak flexion with the elbow (109±3°) and hip (88±6°) peak flexion occurring later in the swing phase. The carpal (54±4°) joint demonstrated a greater range of motion than the tarsus (40±9°) with less vertical displacement. The hind fetlock (60±10°) had greater range of joint motion compared with the forelimb fetlock (45±8°), but lacked the double peak of extension during swing. Kinematic measurements will assist in objectively defining the gait for both clinical and performance applications.

Keywords

gaited horseTennessee Walking Horseflat walkkinematicsyearling
Type
Research Article
Information
Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , May 2006 , pp. 101 - 108
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Ziegler, L (2005). Easy-Gaited Horse. pp. 39–42, 58–59.Google Scholar
2Friends of Sound Horses, Inc. (2005). Independent Judges Association Rulebook. pp. 1–2.Google Scholar
3Slade, LM (1993). Conformation and gait characteristics of Icelandic, Tennessee walker and walkony horses. In: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Animal Locomotion and the Association of Equine Sports Medicine 2. Pasadena, CA: AESM Publications, 64 pp.Google Scholar
4Holt, KM and Nicodemus, MC (2001). Temporal variables of the flat walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse weanling. Journal of Animal Science 79 (1): 210.Google Scholar
5Leach, DH and Cymbaluk, NF (1986). Relationships between stride length, stride frequency, velocity, and morphometrics of foals. American Journal of Veterinary Research 45: 888–892.Google Scholar
6Nicodemus, MC, Lanovaz, JL and Clayton, HM (2000). The effect of velocity on temporal variables of the equine walk. In: Lidner, A (ed.), Conference on Equine Sports Medicine and Science: the Elite Show Jumper. Dortmund: Lensing Druck, 155 pp.Google Scholar
7Nicodemus, MC, Holt, KM and Swartz, K (2002). The relationship between velocity and temporal variables of the flat shod running walk. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 34: 340–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Barrey, E, Desliens, F, Poirel, D, Biau, S, Lemaire, S, Rivero, JLL and Langlois, B (2002). Early evaluation of dressage ability in different breeds. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 34: 319–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Galisteo, AM, Vivo, J, Cano, MR, Morales, JL, Miro, F and Aguera, E (1997). Differences between breeds (Dutch Warmblood vs Andalusian purebred) in forelimb kinematics. Journal of Equine Science 8: 43–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10United States Department of Agriculture (2004). Horse Protection Act Fact Sheet, Riverdale, Maryland. Animal & Plant Health Inspection Services, Animal Care Publications.Google Scholar
11United States Department of Agriculture (2004). Horse Protection Training Material, Riverdale, Maryland. Animal & Plant Health Inspection Services, Animal Care Publications, pp. 9–12, 23–25, 31–37.Google Scholar
12Webb, J (1962). The Care and Training of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Searcy, AK: Webb Publishing.Google Scholar
13Leach, D (1993). Recommended terminology for researchers in locomotion and biomechanics of quadrupedal animals. Acta Anatomica 143 (2–3): 130–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Audigie, F, Pourcelot, P, Degueurce, C, Geiger, D and Denoix, JM (1998). Kinematics of the equine spine: Flexion-extension movements in sound trotting horses. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology. Utsunomiya, Japan, 64 pp.Google Scholar
15Hodson, EF, Clayton, HM and Lanovaz, JL (2000). The forelimb in walking horses: 1. Kinematics and ground reaction forces. Equine Veterinary Journal 32: 287–294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Hodson, EF, Clayton, HM and Lanovaz, JL (2001). The hindlimb in walking horses: 1. Kinematics and ground reaction forces. Equine Veterinary Journal 33: 38–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Buchner, HHF, Savelberg, HHCM and Schamhardt, HC (1996). Head and trunk movement adaptations in horses with experimentally induced fore or hind limb lameness. Equine Veterinary Journal 28: 63–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Abdel-Azis, YI and Karara, HM (1971). Direct linear transformation from computer coordinates into object coordinates in close-range photogrammetry. In: Proceedings of the ASPUI Symposium on Close-Range Photogrammetry. Falls Church, Virginia: American Society of Photogrammetry Publication, pp. 1–19.Google Scholar
19Van Weeren, PR, van den Bogert, AJ and Barneveld, A (1992). Correction models for skin displacement in equine kinematic gait analysis. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 12: 178–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Nicodemus, MC and Holt, KM (2003). Walking temporal variables of the padded Tennessee Walking Horse. Journal of Animal Science 81 (1): 263.Google Scholar
21Clayton, HM (1990). The effect of an acute hoof angulation on the stride kinematics of trotting horses. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 9: 86–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Balch, OK, Clayton, HM and Lanovaz, JL (1994). Effects of increasing hoof length on limb kinematics of trotting horses. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners 40, pp. 40–43.Google Scholar
23Willemen, MA, Savelberg, HCCM and Barneveld, A (1997). The improvements of the gait quality of sound trotting Warmblood horses by normal shoeing and its effect on the load on the lower forelimb. Livestock Production Science 52: 145–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Leleu, C, Cotrel, C and Barrey, E (2004). Effect of age on locomotion of Standardbred trotters in training. Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology 1 (2): 107–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Cano, MR, Miro, F, Diz, AM, Aguera, E and Galisteo, AM (2000). Influence of training on the biokinematics in trotting Andalusian horses. Veterinary Research Communications 24: 477–489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Back, W, Hartman, W, Schamhardt, HC, Bruin, G and Barneveld, A (1995). Kinematic response to a 70 day training period in trotting Dutch Warmbloods. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 18: 127–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Corley, JM and Goodship, AE (1994). Treadmill induced changes to some kinematics variables measured at the canter in Thoroughbred fillies. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 17: 20–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28Clayton, HM (1993). The extended canter: A comparison of the stride kinematics of horses trained for dressage and for racing. Acta Anatomica 146 (2–3): 183–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29Holt, KM and Nicodemus, MC (2003). The influence of training on flat-walking temporal variables of Tennessee Walking Horse yearlings. Journal of Animal Science 81 (1): 262.Google Scholar
30Nicodemus, MC and Holt, KM (2004). Influence of a 30-day stalling period on Tennessee Walking Horse yearling flat-walking temporal variables. Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology 1 (2): A19.Google Scholar
31Back, W, Schamhardt, HC, Hartman, W, Bruin, G and Barneveld, A (1995). Predictive value of foal kinematics for adult locomotor performance. Research on Veterinary Science 59: 64–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32Nicodemus, MC and Holt, KM (2003). Temporal variables of the flat walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse foal predicts yearling flat-walking performance. In: Nielson, B (ed.), Proceedings of the World Conference on Animal Production IX, Porto Alegre, Brazil: Grafica UFRGS, 43 pp.Google Scholar
33Clayton, HM (1995). Comparison of the stride kinematics of the collected, medium, and extended walks in horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 56 (7): 849–852.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34Back, W, Barneveld, A, Schamhardt, HC, Bruin, G and Hartman, W (1994). Longitudinal development of the kinematics in 4-, 10-, 18-, and 26-month-old Dutch Warmblood horses. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 17: 3–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35Cano, MR, Miro, F, Monterde, JG, Diz, A, Martin, J and Galisteo, AM (2001). Changes due to age in the kinematics of trotting Andalusian foals. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 33: 116–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36Cano, MR, Miro, F, Vivo, J and Galisteo, AM (1999). Comparative biokinematic study of young and adult Andalusian horses at the trot. Journal of Veterinary Medicine 46: 91–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37Holmstrom, M, Fredricson, I and Drevemo, S (1994). Biokinematic differences between riding horses judged as good and poor at the trot. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 17: 51–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38Back, W, Barneveld, A, Schamhardt, HC, Bruin, G and Hartman, W (1994). Kinematic detection of superior gait quality in young trotting warmbloods. Veterinary Quarterly 16: S91–S96CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Clayton, HM (1994). Comparison of the stride kinematics of the collected, working, medium and extended trot in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 23 (3): 230–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40Galisteo, AM, Morales, JL, Cano, MR, Miro, F, Aguera, E and Vivo, J (2001). Inter-breed differences in equine forelimb kinematics at the walk. Journal of Veterinary Medicine 48: 277–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41Cano, MR, Vivo, J, Miro, F, Morales, JL and Galisteo, AM (2001). Kinematic characteristics of Andalusian, Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses: a comparative study. Journal of Veterinary Medicine 47: 147–152.Google Scholar
42Nicodemus, MC and Clayton, HM (2002). Forelimb kinematics of the flat walk of the Missouri fox trotter. In: Lidner, A (ed.), Conference on Equine Sports Medicine and Science: The Elite Dressage and Three-Day-Event Horse. Dortmund, Germany: Lensing Druck, pp. 169–173.Google Scholar
43Nicodemus, MC and Clayton, HM, (2001). Gait characteristics of the paso llano. In: Wickler, S (ed.), Proceedings for the 21st Meeting of the Association of Equine Sports Medicine. Pasadena, CA: AESM Publications, pp. 94–99.Google Scholar
44Back, W, Schamhardt, HC and Barneveld, A (1996). Are kinematics of the walk related to the locomotion of a Warmblood horse at the trot?. Veterinary Quarterly Supplement 18 (2): S71–S76Google Scholar
45Robert, C, Valette, JP, Pourcelot, P, Audigie, F and Denoix, JM (2002). Effects of trotting speed on muscle activity and kinematics in saddlehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 34: 295–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
46Zips, S, Peham, C, Scheidl, M, Licka, T and Girtler, D (2001). Motion pattern of toelt of Icelandic horses at different speeds. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 33: 109–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
47Buchner, HHF, Savelberg, HHCM, Schamhardt, HC and Barneveld, A (1995). Temporal stride patterns in horses with experimentally induced fore or hind limb lameness. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 18: 161–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
48Buchner, HHF, Savelberg, HHCM, Schamhardt, HC and Barneveld, A (1996). Limb movement adaptations in horses with experimentally induced fore or hind limb lameness. Equine Veterinary Journal 28: 63–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
49Back, W, Barneveld, A, van Weeren, PR and van den Bogert, AJ (1993). Kinematic gait analysis in equine carpal lameness. Acta Anatomica 146 (2–3): 86–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
50Audigie, F, Pourcelot, P, Degueurce, C, Geiger, D and Denoix, JM (2001). Kinematic analysis of the symmetry of limb movements in lame trotting horses. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 33: 128–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar