The use of relative coupling intervals in horses during walk

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearch

  • Emil Olsen
  • Thilo Pfau
Walking speed varies between over-ground trials and a speed-independent gait-parameter does not exist for use in horses.

We introduce relative (R) lateral (L) and diagonal (D) coupling intervals (CI) and hypothesize that both are independent of walking speed.

Four horses were walked over 8 Kistler force plates surrounded by a 12-camera Qualisys infrared kinematic system. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected synchronously at a sample rate of 200 Hz.

Hoof-on was detected from kinetic data with a threshold of 10N.

LCI is defined as the time from front hoof-on to the ipsilateral hind hoof-on and DCI as front hoof-on to the contralateral hind hoof-on in the next stride. RLCI and RDCI are proportional changes in LCI and DCI between subsequent strides.

Statistical analysis was performed using R and a linear mixed model with repeated measurements.

No significant effect of speed was identified for either RLCI or RDCI. RLCI and RDCI can thus be applied as speed-independent stride-to-stride variability parameters in horses during walk over-ground. This might prove useful for detection of gait deficits caused by spinal cord injury.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2011
Number of pages2
Publication statusPublished - 2011
EventISB2011: Congress -
Duration: 1 Aug 2011 → …
Conference number: 23

Conference

ConferenceISB2011
Number23
Period01/08/2011 → …

ID: 40114004