Digital video analysis reveals gait parameters that predict performance in the jumping test phase of three-day eventing.
Authors: Johns L T, Smythe M P, Dewberry L S, Staiger E A, Allen K, Brooks S A
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Three-day eventing's mandatory pre-competition and post-cross country inspections rely on subjective visual assessment to evaluate soundness before the final jumping phase, yet little evidence exists linking specific gait parameters to subsequent jumping performance. Johns and colleagues used DeepLabCut software to quantify objective trot parameters from digital video analysis of 194 competition horses at two inspection points, applying body-size scaling to identify conformational indicators of jumping ability. Relative trot speed during the pre-competition inspection and forelimb travel length at both inspections emerged as significant predictors of clear rounds, suggesting these parameters reflect underlying athletic capacity and conformational suitability for jumping; notably, horses that accumulated jumping faults showed significantly greater changes in speed and duty factor between inspections, potentially reflecting exercise-induced fatigue accumulation over the cross-country phase. The research demonstrates that objective, scalable gait metrics can complement or enhance the subjective visual inspections currently employed for competition screening, offering veterinary inspectors, event organisers and coaches a quantifiable framework for assessing readiness and fatigue—particularly valuable for welfare decisions when horses show physical deterioration across the three-day format.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Objective digital gait analysis may provide a more standardized alternative to subjective visual inspection for assessing competition fitness and jumping readiness
- •Monitor changes in forelimb travel and trot speed as potential indicators of fatigue between mandatory inspections, which may predict subsequent jumping performance issues
- •Implementation of quantifiable gait metrics could improve consistency and reliability of pre-competition and post-cross country veterinary assessments for horse welfare protection
Key Findings
- •Relative trot speed during pre-competition inspection significantly predicted clear rounds in the jumping test (P = 0.0060)
- •Forelimb travel post-cross country significantly predicted jumping test results (P = 0.0188)
- •Changes in speed and duty factor between pre-competition and post-cross country inspections differed significantly in horses that accrued jumping faults (P = 0.00376 and P = 0.02430), suggesting locomotor signs of exercise fatigue
- •Digital gait analysis using DeepLabCut software identified objective, body-size-scaled parameters that correlate with jumping ability and athletic fitness