Impact of Gait and Diameter during Circular Exercise on Front Hoof Area, Vertical Force, and Pressure in Mature Horses.
Authors: Logan Alyssa A, Nielsen Brian D, Robison Cara I, Hallock David B, Manfredi Jane M, Hiney Kristina M, Buskirk Daniel D, Popovich John M
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Circular exercise remains a common training tool, yet anecdotal reports of lameness associated with repetitive circular work prompted this investigation into how hoof loading mechanics vary across different gaits and circle sizes. Nine mature horses were instrumented with pressure-sensing hoof sensors (Tekscan™) fitted via glue-on shoes, allowing researchers to quantify mean hoof area, vertical force, and pressure distribution whilst exercising on straight lines and circles of two diameters (10-m and 15-m) at walk, trot, and canter. Walking generated significantly higher mean pressure than trotting across all exercise types (p < 0.01), whilst straight-line work at walk produced greater loaded hoof area and vertical force than circular work; notably, the outside front limb during canter on circles showed substantially increased hoof area loading compared to the same limb at walk or trot (p = 0.001). These findings underscore that gait selection is critical when prescribing circular exercise programmes—the increased loading asymmetry observed at canter on circles, combined with heightened pressure during walk, suggests that indiscriminate use of these combinations may elevate injury risk in the distal forelimb. Practitioners should consider tailoring circular work to lower-pressure gaits and potentially limiting canter circles to shorter durations or larger diameters where feasible.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Gait selection matters significantly for circular exercise programs—walking on circles creates substantially different loading patterns than trotting or cantering, which may influence lameness risk
- •Straight-line exercise distributes loading differently than circular work; if circular exercise is used therapeutically or for conditioning, monitor for asymmetrical pressure patterns on the outside limbs at canter
- •Consider varying gait and exercise geometry when designing training or rehabilitation programs to manage cumulative hoof stress and reduce injury risk in horses used for circular work
Key Findings
- •Walk exercise produced greater mean pressure than trot across all exercise types (p < 0.01)
- •Straight-line walking resulted in greater mean hoof area loaded compared to large circles (p = 0.01)
- •Small and large circles produced lower mean vertical force than straight-line exercise (p = 0.003)
- •During cantering on circles, the outside front limb experienced greater mean area loaded than at walk and trot (p = 0.001)