Gait kinematics at trot before and after repeated ridden exercise tests in young Friesian stallions during a fatiguing 10-week training program.
Authors: Siegers Esther W, Parmentier Jeanne I M, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan Marianne M, Munsters Carolien C B M, Serra Bragança Filipe M
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
Young Friesian stallions undergoing a mandatory 10-week standardized training programme for breeding licensure demonstrate individualised changes in trot kinematics following repeated exercise tests, suggesting varying physiological responses to fatigue load. Researchers used inertial measurement systems (seven sensors at 200 Hz) to capture gait before and after three standardised ridden exercise tests conducted at weeks 1, 6, and 10, correlating kinematic variables with heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and training progression across 16 three- to four-year-old stallions. Range of motion at the withers increased significantly after the week-6 and week-10 exercise tests compared to baseline, whilst stallions achieving lactate concentrations ≥4 mmol/L showed increased variability in stride characteristics and asymmetrical upper body movement post-exercise—notably, 69% of the cohort exhibited vertical withers asymmetry exceeding published reference ranges. Only four of the original 16 stallions successfully completed the full 10-week programme, raising welfare concerns about training intensity and individual tolerance. For practitioners, these findings suggest that gait analysis using objective kinematic sensors offers valuable insight into fatigue accumulation and individual training responses in young athletic horses, whilst the pronounced asymmetries warrant further investigation as potential indicators of either legitimate neuromuscular adaptation or emerging compensatory patterns requiring intervention.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor withers movement and stride variability during training — increased asymmetry post-exercise may indicate excessive fatigue and warrant training load reduction
- •Young Friesian stallions show high baseline upper body movement asymmetry; establish individual baseline gait patterns before interpreting fatigue-related changes
- •The 10-week standardized breeding stallion training program appears too intense for many young Friesians — consider progressive load increases or screening for individual training tolerance before enrollment
Key Findings
- •Withers range of motion increased significantly after standardized exercise tests in weeks 6 and 10 compared to week 1, indicating acute fatigue effects on locomotion
- •Horses achieving lactate ≥4 mmol/L showed increased coefficient of variation in stride characteristics and upper body asymmetry post-exercise, suggesting fatigue-induced gait instability
- •Upper body vertical movement asymmetry exceeded published reference ranges in 69% of stallions, raising concerns about the training program's impact on biomechanical health
- •Only 4 of 16 stallions (25%) completed the 10-week training program, suggesting the protocol may be overly demanding or inappropriate for young Friesians