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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Comparative and Clinical Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1456424
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in the Application of Technology for Monitoring Horse Welfare and Health View all 7 articles

Gait kinematics at trot before and after repeated ridden exercise tests in young Friesian stallions during a fatiguing 10-week training program

Provisionally accepted
Esther Willemijn Siegers Esther Willemijn Siegers 1*Jeanne I M Parmentier Jeanne I M Parmentier 1,2Marianne M Sloet Van Oldruitenborgh- Oosterbaan Marianne M Sloet Van Oldruitenborgh- Oosterbaan 1Carolien C B M Munsters Carolien C B M Munsters 3Filipe Manuel Serra Braganca Filipe Manuel Serra Braganca 1
  • 1 Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
  • 2 University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
  • 3 Equine integration, Hoogeloon, Netherlands

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Appropriate training is essential for equine athletes to improve fitness and ensure welfare. Young Friesian stallions must complete a 10-week training program for acceptance as breeding stallions. Earlier, this training program was demonstrated to induce overtraining. Objectives: To evaluate how this training program affects stallions' trot locomotion variables in relation to fatigue. Study design: Prospective analytical study Methods: 3 or 4 years-old (n=16) Friesian stallions performed three ridden indoor standardized exercise tests (SETs) in week-1 (SET-I; n=15), week-6 (SET-II; n=11) and week-10 (SET-III; n=4), measuring heart rate (bpm) and lactate concentration (LA, mmol/L). Before and after each SET, stallions' locomotion was measured with seven inertial sensors (EquiMoves, 200Hz) during in-hand trot on a straight line. Stride characteristics, limb angular changes, and upper body kinematics were calculated. The within-measurement coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for all parameters. Linear mixed models were used to analyse gait variables related to SET, pre-or post-SET and a peak LA ≥4 mmol/L during SETs. Results: Horses showed individual responses in gait kinematics to moderate fatigue. The range of motion of the withers (ROMwithers) increased post SET-II and SET-III compared to post SET-I. In horses reaching LA≥4 mmol/L, CV increased post SETs for several stride characteristics and upper body asymmetry. Upper body vertical movement asymmetry was above the described reference ranges in 69% of the horses. Main limitations: Number of horses used and only four horses managed to complete the 10-week training program as breeding stallions. Conclusions: The young Friesian stallions showed individually different responses in absolute gait kinematics after exercise and during an intense training program. The increased ROMwithers and CV of stride characteristics after SETs suggest an acute effect of fatigue on the locomotion pattern. Further investigation is warranted for the pronounced upper body movement asymmetry related to published asymmetry reference values.

    Keywords: horse, training, Workload, gait analysis, Fatigue, welfare, Friesian horse, breeding selection Article type: Original research

    Received: 28 Jun 2024; Accepted: 02 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Siegers, Parmentier, Sloet Van Oldruitenborgh- Oosterbaan, Munsters and Serra Braganca. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Esther Willemijn Siegers, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands

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