Gait To Gate
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Discussion re foals gait versus the mare
etc..
The scene at a horse sale is familiar. The smell of coffee
fills the air as early morning enthusiasts walk through the
barns. A "first-time-off-the-farm" filly whinnies as her dam is
trotted down the aisle for a group watching her stride. A man
watches a strong chestnut mare extend at a trot around an
arena. A woman crouches down before a colt as he walks toward
her, carefully evaluating the youngster's front legs.
Good gait quality seems to be a prerequisite for good
performance. For decades, we have been striving to improve our
horses' elegance of gait and performance under saddle through
breeding and selection. But judging a horse's movement is
considered an art. Many factors make it a very difficult skill
to master--shoulder movement, impulsion, strength,
extension--the list goes on and on. But what about judging a
foal? Can we accurately access a horse's mature movement by
evaluating its' gaits at a young age? What changes take place
during a horse's growth spurt?
Willem Back, DVM, PhD, from The Netherlands, answered these
questions from his studies at Utrecht University. He presented
this material at the 1995 annual convention of the American
Association of Equine Practitioners. Back has determined that
judging locomotion at an early age can accurately predict
future performance.
"An important criterion for selection of sport horses, apart
from elegance and efficiency of gait, should be a low risk for
developing lameness," said Back.
He discussed a study conducted at Utrecht University that
included 24 Dutch Warmblood foals, all raised under
standardized feeding and housing. At three months of age, the
foals were trained to walk, trot, and canter on a treadmill.
Markers were glued to the skin and used as landmarks for a
computer to map the movement of the foal's limbs.
"The movement of the leg at different points is called
kinematics," Back explained. The markers at the different
segments of the limb detect three light beams emitted by a
scanner and the computer calculates the kinematics of the gait,
which are based on the three following standards:
* stride duration--the time it takes for a horse to make one
complete stride;
* stance duration--the length of time the hoof is on the ground
during a stride;
* swing duration--the length of time one hoof is off the
ground.
Records were taken and continued as the foals got older--from
four to 26 months old. Since the trot is the most important
gait for selection of horses, the group of foals was evaluated
at various speeds at a trot. Naturally, the foals grew in
weight and height as the study progressed, so the variables
were adjusted accordingly to create an accurate model of
comparison.
"This study proves that the stride variables are similar in
foals and adults," Back stated.
Each individual horse has its own distinct gait pattern. This
pattern remains the same even after growth and further bone
development has taken place, according to findings of this
research. Apparently, kinematic variables are already mature at
a young age, so the gait appearance of a foal is an adequate
representation of how he or she will move as an adult.
"We call it kinematic fingerprinting," Back explained. "Just
like a human fingerprint, a foal's locomotion is unique and
virtually remains unchanged with time."
Taking The Trot One Step Further
Now that you have a foal moving in front of you, what do you
look for? Another study at Utrecht University in 1994
identified specific criteria to use when selecting for gait
quality. The trot of the same group of 24 Dutch Warmbloods was
evaluated at the age of 26 months by a judge and by a
computer.
The horses were scored at a trot based on three
criteria--length, strength, and suppleness. By evaluating
kinematic variables at various points throughout the body,
researchers were able to determine what mode of actions
contribute to gait quality and elegant movement.
They found that variables of the shoulder, elbow, and carpal
(knee) joints did not significantly contribute to a
high-scoring trot. In addition, the pelvis, hip, and hindlimb
fetlock were not found to correlate significantly with good
movement.
"Horses with a better gait appeared to have larger fetlock
extension only in the forelimb," Back commented. "The
spring-like action of the fetlock joint in the forelimb is
essential for horses to reduce the shock of limb-ground contact
and smoothness of gait. This makes the action of the fetlock
the most crucial variable in the forelimb."
Horses with high-quality trots also appear to have more flexion
in the stifle and tarsal (hock) joints.
Another contributing factor to a quality trot is scapular
rotation. Apparently, increased scapular movement is essential
to increased stride length. More retraction in the forelimb and
more protraction in the hindlimb increase the length of stride.
Horses with a better trot, therefore, move forward because they
are "closed" between forelimbs and hindlimbs during
suspension.
So take note at foal sales: The trot of the foal next to its
dam is the same trot that it will perform in future arenas.
Look at the fetlock, hock, stifle, and scapular movement.
Enlarge the picture, and you know what your investment will
look like in a few years.
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