Swing phase kinematic and kinetic response to weighting the hind pasterns.
Authors: Clayton H M, Lavagnino M, Kaiser L J, Stubbs N C
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Swing Phase Kinematic and Kinetic Response to Weighting the Hind Pasterns Clayton et al. (2011) investigated whether adding weight to the hind pasterns during trotting could generate meaningful changes in hindlimb biomechanics, with the hypothesis that such loading might serve as a therapeutic tool for muscular strengthening. Six horses were equipped with reflective markers on the hindlimbs and worked at trot with and without 700 g weights attached to each hind pastern, whilst three-dimensional motion analysis and inverse dynamics calculations quantified changes in flight arc height and joint work across the hip, stifle, tarsus and metatarsophalangeal joints. The addition of pastern weights significantly increased hoof flight arc height and drove substantially greater muscular demand across all hindlimb joints: the hip and tarsal extensors performed increased concentric work during both early and late swing phases, whilst the stifle and metatarsophalangeal joint stabilisers performed increased eccentric work to control limb deceleration against inertial forces. For practitioners seeking to activate and strengthen hindlimb musculature—particularly around the hip—pastern weighting represents a quantifiably different stimulus than tactile aids alone and may offer a practical alternative or complement to other conditioning approaches, though individual response variation and appropriate weight selection merit further investigation in clinical populations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Pastern weights (700g) effectively activate hindlimb muscles across multiple joints and may offer a practical tool for therapeutic strengthening, particularly targeting the hip region
- •The increased muscular demand from weights appears more effective at hip activation than tactile stimulation alone, providing an alternative strengthening approach
- •Consider pastern weights as a non-invasive exercise modality to strengthen hindlimb musculature in horses requiring rehabilitation or performance enhancement
Key Findings
- •Leg weights (700g) on hind pasterns increased peak flight arc height due to increased stifle, tarsal, and metatarsophalangeal joint flexion during swing phase
- •Hip and tarsal muscles performed increased concentric work in early swing (protraction/raising) and late swing (retraction/lowering) with weights
- •Stifle and metatarsophalangeal joints performed increased eccentric work to control movement and manage increased inertia from weights
- •Weighted pasterns stimulated increased muscular activity across all hindlimb joints from hip to metatarsophalangeal joint