Quantitative Gait Analysis Before and After a Cross-country Test in a Population of Elite Eventing Horses.
Authors: Scheidegger Milena D, Gerber Vinzenz, Dolf Gaudenz, Burger Dominik, Flammer Shannon Axiak, Ramseyer Alessandra
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Quantitative gait analysis using inertial measurement units revealed that pre-existing asymmetries in head and pelvic movement are remarkably prevalent among elite event horses, with 58% displaying measurable deviations before competition and 77% doing so within 24 hours of a cross-country test at CCI3* and CCI4* level—asymmetries that the naked eye would likely miss. Despite the physiological stress markers evident post-exercise (elevated creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and blood lactate), these gait deviations did not worsen in magnitude following the demanding cross-country phase across three separate three-week-spaced competitions. The one consistent post-exercise finding was a shortened stride duration the following day, which correlated with blood lactate levels, horse age, and bodyweight, suggesting this is a normal fatigue response rather than an indicator of pathology or asymmetry progression. For practitioners, these findings support routine quantitative gait assessment as a baseline screening tool for detecting subclinical asymmetries that warrant investigation, though the absence of correlation between asymmetries and muscle enzyme markers suggests that moderate asymmetries observed in elite horses may reflect training-related biomechanical adaptations rather than tissue damage. This work underscores that asymmetry detection itself is not necessarily predictive of acute exercise-induced injury, warranting future research into longitudinal lameness development and the clinical significance of persistent versus transient movement deviations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Quantitative gait analysis systems can detect subclinical asymmetries missed by visual assessment; consider baseline gait analysis as part of pre-competition screening for elite event horses
- •A majority of elite eventing horses naturally present gait asymmetries; focus on identifying acute changes rather than absolute asymmetry values as indicators of new injury
- •Shortened stride duration post-strenuous exercise appears to be a normal adaptive response rather than a sign of injury; monitor for persistent asymmetry changes over multiple days as more clinically relevant
Key Findings
- •58% of horses exhibited gait asymmetries exceeding threshold values before cross-country testing, increasing to 77% after the event
- •Strenuous cross-country exercise resulted in significantly shorter stride duration the following day, but did not worsen pre-existing gait asymmetries
- •Stride duration post-exercise was associated with blood lactate levels, age, and weight, but gait asymmetries showed no correlation with creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, or lactate levels