Applying Multi-Purpose Commercial Inertial Sensors for Monitoring Equine Locomotion in Equestrian Training.

Area of Science:

• Equine Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Animal Welfare Science

Background:

• Overtraining in sport horses leads to injuries and career-ending problems.
• Objective methods are needed to manage exercise loads and prevent injuries.
• Current monitoring often lacks objective, individualized data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate an easy-to-implement biomechanical load monitoring system for sport horses.
• To derive objective parameters for evaluating gait and limb loads.
• To enable effective exercise load management and injury prevention.

Main Methods:

• Utilized five commercial inertial sensor units non-invasively attached to horse limbs and trunk.
• Collected data under routine in-the-field training conditions.
• Derived parameters for gait evaluation and limb load analysis.

Main Results:

• Peak impact limb load increased progressively from walk to trot to canter.
• Stance and swing phases shortened with increasing speed.
• Load asymmetry varied individually, highlighting the need for personalized assessment.

Conclusions:

• The system provides objective insights into training effects and responses.
• Individualized monitoring is crucial for managing training loads in sport horses.
• This approach can optimize exercise management, benefiting equine welfare and health.