Combined Effects of Water Depth and Velocity on the Accelerometric Parameters Measured in Horses Exercised on a Water Treadmill.
Authors: Saitua Aritz, Becero Mireya, Argüelles David, Castejón-Riber Cristina, Sánchez de Medina Antonia, Satué Katy, Muñoz Ana
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Water treadmill training has long been advocated for developing greater muscular power than terrestrial exercise, yet the biomechanical mechanisms underlying this claim remain poorly characterised. Saitua and colleagues used accelerometers positioned on the pectoral region and sacrum to quantify how immersion depth and speed influenced locomotor dynamics in eleven horses exercised on a water treadmill at varying depths—from dry treadmill through fetlock, carpus, and stifle—and at velocities of either 5 or 6 km/h. Total power output increased substantially from dry to water conditions at fetlock and carpus depths, with this gain plateauing thereafter; however, reducing velocity from 6 to 5 km/h caused significant power reduction regardless of depth. The additional power generated in water was predominantly channelled into dorsoventral (vertical) movement rather than forward propulsion, manifesting as increased vertical displacement and vertical power at the expense of longitudinal and mediolateral components. These findings suggest that water immersion fundamentally alters movement mechanics by increasing vertical effort, which has practical implications for conditioning programmes: deeper immersion and faster speeds amplify this effect, but practitioners should recognise that gains in vertical power may not translate directly to improvements in terrestrial locomotion patterns or jumping ability.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Water treadmill exercise generates greater muscle demands than dry treadmill work, primarily through increased vertical (dorsoventral) loading rather than forward/sideways movement
- •Deeper water (carpus/stifle depth) produces similar biomechanical effects at the same speed, allowing trainer flexibility in water depth selection based on individual horse needs
- •Exercise intensity on water treadmills is highly sensitive to velocity changes—reducing speed from 6 to 5 km/h significantly decreases the training stimulus
Key Findings
- •Total power increased from dry treadmill to water depths of fetlock and carpus, with no significant difference between carpus and stifle depths at equal velocities
- •Reducing velocity from 6 km/h to 5 km/h resulted in significant decrease in total power output
- •Dorsoventral displacement and dorsoventral power significantly increased with water, accounting for the majority of total power increase
- •Water depth and velocity significantly affected dorsoventral power while reducing longitudinal and mediolateral power components