A Review of Biomechanical Gait Classification with Reference to Collected Trot, Passage and Piaffe in Dressage Horses.
Authors: Clayton Hilary M, Hobbs Sarah Jane
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Clayton and Hobbs conducted a comprehensive biomechanical review comparing how dressage horses move during collected trot, passage and piaffe, using kinematic data, ground reaction force (GRF) analysis and centre of mass (COM) mechanics to classify these gaits within established walking versus running frameworks. Both collected trot and passage demonstrated the kinematic, GRF and energy characteristics of running gaits, characterised by aerial phases and inverted pendulum mechanics, whilst piaffe emerged as a biomechanical hybrid—displaying walking-pattern limb sequencing but running-type GRF profiles and COM mechanics. A striking functional difference emerged between the fore and hind limbs: the hind limbs functioned as elastic springs with substantially greater compression in passage and piaffe relative to trot, whereas the forelimbs acted as rigid struts with reduced compression in the two elevated gaits. These findings have significant implications for training progression and athletic soundness, as they reveal that passage and piaffe demand fundamentally different biomechanical strategies than trot, with substantially greater elastic loading through the hindquarters—information that should influence conditioning programmes, injury prevention strategies and assessment of gait quality during ridden work and veterinary examination.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding that passage and collected trot are biomechanically similar running gaits can help trainers recognize proper technique and diagnose gait deviations
- •Piaffe's hybrid nature requires different training approaches—recognize it uses walking-like limb sequencing despite running-like energy mechanics
- •Hind limb spring function is critical in advanced dressage; development of hind limb engagement and compression capacity should be prioritized in training progression
Key Findings
- •Collected trot and passage are classified as running gaits based on kinematics, ground reaction force curves, and center of mass mechanics
- •Piaffe is a hybrid gait combining walking kinematics with running ground reaction forces and center of mass mechanics
- •Hind limbs act as springs with greater compression in passage and piaffe compared to trot, while forelimbs behave as struts with less compression