Ground reaction force patterns of Dutch Warmblood horses at normal walk

Abstract

Summary The ground reaction force patterns from 20 clinically sound Dutch Warmblood horses (Group A) were recorded at the normal walk. The data from four to 10 stance phases of each limb were computer averaged after normalisation to the animal's body mass and to the stance time. This analysis method allowed comparison of data from left and right fore‐ and hind‐limbs within and between horses. The left‐to‐right symmetry in the reaction force peaks of contralateral limbs of one horse exceeded 90 per cent. The time in the stance phase at which the peaks occur were even more symmetrically distributed. A characteristic force‐force diagram was constructed by plotting the longitudinal horizontal and the vertical ground reaction forces against each other; in this way the symmetry of loading of contralateral fore‐ and hindlimbs could be interpreted easily. Force plate tracings were obtained from eight horses (Group B) in three succesive years. The similarity of the tracings from a sound, well‐trained horse over that period was better than the differences between horses of the same breed.

Gait assessment in dairy cattle

“…One difficulty of force plate studies is the inability to control where the animal places its feet on the ground (Barrey, 1999). Merkens et al (1985) reported that multiple attempts (average 2.9) were needed to provide adequate data on the force exerted by a single limb of a horse, and Corr et al (2003), testing broiler chickens, required on average 10 attempts per bird before sufficient data had been collected. This creates challenges for researchers in terms of keeping animals walking and avoiding fatigue.…”

Software for analysis of equine ground reaction force data

“…A well-trained chnically sound horse at normal walk demonstrates a remarkable reproducibility in walking velocity and shape of the force plate signals [9]. Furthermore, no correlation was found between signal amplitude, being merely determined by F z, and the walking velocity and stance phase duration, all determined in the range where the animals walked at their own preferred, comfortable speed.…”

“…As shown in another paper [9], the resemblance between tracings of one horse over several years is greater than that between the horse under study and the 'standard horse'. Therefore, comparison with former tracings is preferred over the next best alternative, comparison with the 'standard horse'.…”

“…Obviously, numerous other choices can be made. As presented in another paper [9], these parameters were applicable to characterize the force plate tracing of the Dutch Warmblood Horse. Some parameters were combined to compare signals from left and right front limbs and from left and right hind limbs and resulted in the so-called amplitude symmetry index.…”

“…This philosophy requires the combination of three programs: (a) a program that produces high quality plots of the force plate signals; (b) a program that averages the force plate tracings from a number of selected horses, resulting in the tracing of a 'standard horse' and (c) a program that combines certain characteristic figures derived from force plate tracings into a 'limb-index', a 'symmetry-index' and a 'horse-index'. The latter program uses the force plate tracing of the 'standard horse' [9] and is described elsewhere [10].…”