The development of locomotor kinetics in the foal and the effect of osteochondrosis.
Authors: Gorissen B M C, Wolschrijn C F, Serra Bragança F M, Geerts A A J, Leenders W O J L, Back W, van Weeren P R
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Gait Development in Young Foals: Early Detection of Osteochondrosis Through Force Plate Analysis Whilst foals demonstrate impressive precocity—standing and walking within hours of birth—the longitudinal development of their locomotor mechanics during the critical first six months remains poorly understood, as does any biomechanical signature of early osteochondrosis. Researchers at a single Dutch stud farm used pressure plate analysis to track gait kinetics in 11 Warmblood foals from birth to 24 weeks, measuring body-mass-normalised peak vertical force, vertical impulse, and stance duration, whilst radiographing tarsocrural and femoropatellar joints at 4–6 weeks and 6 months to identify osteochondrosis. Walking and trotting velocity increased significantly with age, as did stance duration and vertical impulse, yet normalised peak vertical force remained stable—suggesting that force distribution stabilises early despite ongoing skeletal development. Notably, foals with radiographic evidence of osteochondrosis displayed a temporary but statistically significant reduction in normalised peak vertical force despite showing no visible lameness; this finding suggests pressure plate analysis may offer earlier detection of joint pathology than clinical observation alone. Although limited to a single breed cohort and reliant on estimated rather than measured body mass, these results indicate that pressure plate biomechanics could become a valuable screening tool for osteochondrosis in the pre-clinical phase, potentially informing management decisions around exercise prescription and nutritional intervention during this critical growth window.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Young foals with osteochondrosis may have detectable changes in force loading patterns measurable by pressure plate analysis before lameness becomes clinically obvious—early detection tools could inform management decisions.
- •Normal gait development in foals continues well into the second half of their first year; expectations for consistent, mature gait mechanics should be adjusted accordingly during early training.
- •Pressure plate analysis may be useful for identifying subclinical loading asymmetries in osteochondrosis-affected foals that could guide therapeutic intervention or training modification.
Key Findings
- •Walking and trotting velocity increased significantly over the first 24 weeks of life, while normalised peak vertical force remained relatively constant.
- •Coefficient of variation of stance duration decreased significantly in early weeks as a marker of gait maturation, but coefficient of variation of peak vertical force did not.
- •Foals with osteochondrosis showed temporarily reduced normalised peak vertical force despite showing no visible lameness.
- •Gait kinetics continue to develop and mature in the first 6 months of life despite foals being precocious walkers at birth.