Determination of coefficient of friction between the equine foot and different ground surfaces: anin vitrostudy

Abstract

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S1478061506617234How to cite this article: Nicolas J Vos and Dirk J Riemersma (2006). Determination of coefcient of friction between the equine foot and different ground surfaces: an in vitro study. AbstractSlippery surfaces are a continuous concern in equine veterinary practice during both treatment and orthopaedic work-ups, especially when horses have to trot on circles 1,2 . Sliding of the equine foot on the ground with the potential of injury is prevented if the horizontally acting accelerating or decelerating forces on the foot do not exceed maximal friction. Friction can be calculated and therefore anticipated if the coefficient of friction (m) between the foot of the horse and the particular ground surface is known. Friction between shod and unshod cadaver equine hooves and different ground surfaces (concrete, tarmac and rubber) was determined by pulling the hooves horizontally in a uniform motion. Horizontal forces (F h ) were measured on a force plate and with a portable digital electronic force meter. The coefficient of friction (m) was calculated as the quotient between F h and the gravity force (N) of the object 3 , hence: m ¼ F h /N. This study has shown that the coefficient of friction between equine hooves and a specific ground surface can be determined using a portable digital force meter or a force plate. Friction significantly depended not only on the type of surface but also on shoeing of the equine foot. Bare feet showed more friction with the hard surfaces (bricks and tarmac), the shod feet showing more friction with the rubber surfaces. Coefficients of friction could be used to estimate the possibility of injuries occurring in the equine industry during exercise and/or lameness or pre-purchase examinations.

Assessment of the effect of horseshoes with and without traction adaptations on the gait kinetics of nonlame horses during a trot on a concrete runway

“…45,46 Among the 6 treatments evaluated in the present study, traction was greatest for the PSC shoe and lowest when horses were unshod. That finding was in contrast to results of an in vitro study 47 in which the kinetic COF between the hooves of cadaveric equine limbs and a concrete surface was greater when the hooves were unshod, compared to when the hooves were shod with iron shoes. The inherent differences between in vitro and in vivo studies are likely responsible for the apparently conflicting results between that study 47 and the present study.…”

Exploring the mechanical basis for acceleration: pelvic limb locomotor function during accelerations in racing greyhounds (Canis familiaris)

“…The ratio of horizontal to vertical impulse must be less than the coefficient of friction, as maximum shear force (F y ) is given by the product of the coefficient of static friction and the normal force (F z ). We do not know the coefficient of friction for the surface used in this study; however, many everyday substrates fall around the region of 0.5 (Pardoe et al, 2001;Phillips and Morris, 2000;Phillips and Morris, 2001;Vos and Riebersma, 2007) (and thus the inverse of this is 2 -close to the beginning of the asymptote seen in this study). Given that the maximal accelerations we were able to obtain in the laboratory setting were reached close to this coefficient, this raises an interesting question: is acceleration grip limited?…”

The foot–surface interaction and its impact on musculoskeletal adaptation and injury risk in the horse

“…The degree of slip in vivo has been used more frequently to assess the frictional properties of surfaces. Asphalt allows a greater degree of slip than rubber or turf . Turf surfaces lead to a higher degree of hoof slip than synthetic and dirt surfaces at the trot and at higher speeds the period for which braking occurs is lower on turf and synthetic surfaces than on dirt, implying that slip distance is longer and therefore grip is lower on dirt than on turf and synthetic surfaces for the forelimbs .…”