Upwards or onwards? Assessment of objective gait quality parameters in three European horse breeds at walk and trot.
Authors: Gmel A I, Haraldsdóttir E H, Rosa T V, Lamas L P, Neuditschko M, Weishaupt M A
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Three European horse breeds—Lusitano, Franches-Montagnes and Swiss Warmblood—display fundamentally different movement patterns that reflect their historical breeding purposes, a finding now quantified using inertial measurement units placed at the poll, withers, pelvis and all four cannon bones during walk and trot. Lusitanos moved significantly slower (0.65 m/s slower at walk, 1.35 m/s slower at trot) than both Warmbloods and Franches-Montagnes, which compensated through different strategies: Franches-Montagnes achieved higher stride frequencies whilst Warmbloods produced longer strides at lower cadence. The most striking distinction emerged at trot, where Franches-Montagnes exhibited prolonged suspension phases but minimal vertical withers displacement—a horizontally efficient pattern suited to carriage work—contrasting sharply with the more aerial, collected gaits of Lusitanos and Warmbloods bred for ridden disciplines. These breed-specific gait signatures, including variations in hind limb protraction angles and front limb kinematics, reflect selective breeding for sport-specific demands rather than arbitrary aesthetic preferences. For practitioners, these findings provide objective baseline data for assessing individual conformation and movement quality within breed context, potentially informing selection criteria, rehabilitation targets and performance expectations across different equestrian disciplines.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding breed-specific gait characteristics helps set realistic performance expectations and identify abnormal movement patterns that deviate from breed norms during lameness evaluation
- •Breed differences in stride length, frequency, and limb protraction angles should inform selection of appropriate training methods and disciplines aligned with each breed's natural biomechanical strengths
- •Objective gait assessment tools can help breeders and trainers objectively evaluate movement quality and make informed breeding and training decisions based on quantified parameters rather than subjective observation alone
Key Findings
- •Lusitanos moved significantly slower than Franches-Montagnes and Warmbloods (0.65 m/s slower at walk, 1.35 m/s slower at trot)
- •Franches-Montagnes demonstrated highest stride frequencies with longer suspension durations but smaller vertical range of motion, indicating more horizontal efficient movement
- •Warmbloods showed larger front limb protraction angles at walk and longer strides at lower frequency compared to other breeds
- •Breed-specific gait patterns correlate with their primary equestrian sport demands: collected vertical movements for Lusitanos, horizontal pulling for Franches-Montagnes, and vertical elasticity for Warmbloods