Extraction of Kinematic Parameters and Comparative Study of Endurance Levels in Mongolian Horses

Mongolian horses are an indigenous Chinese breed known for their endurance capacity, yet quantitative descriptions of their gait-related kinematic characteristics remain limited. This pilot exploratory study aimed to describe the kinematics of Mongolian horses during walk, slow trot, and fast trot, and to examine whether selected variables differed between race-result groups in a 12 km endurance race. Forty-six horses were classified into an excellent group and an ordinary group based on the result of a single race. Kinematic data were collected using optical motion capture and three-dimensional skeletal modelling. Separate gait-specific linear mixed-effects models were fitted, with horse identity as a random effect and group and speed as fixed effects. The results showed gait-dependent between-group differences. During walk, the excellent group had significantly greater range of motion of the tarsal, hip, and elbow joints, as well as a greater maximum forelimb retraction angle (all p < 0.001). During slow trot, the excellent group showed significantly greater stride length (p = 0.009), elbow joint range of motion (p < 0.001), minimum hindlimb forward extension angle (p = 0.033), and minimum forelimb forward extension angle (p = 0.004). During fast trot, the between-group differences were most pronounced, with significantly greater stride length (p < 0.001) and range of motion of the tarsal joint (p < 0.001), hip joint (p = 0.015), and elbow joint (p = 0.014), together with greater maximum hindlimb retraction angle (p = 0.001) and minimum forelimb forward extension angle (p = 0.026). Overall, these findings provide preliminary evidence that gait-related kinematic differences may exist between race-result groups in Mongolian horses. However, because this was an exploratory study based on a single race, the findings should be interpreted cautiously and require validation in larger and more diverse cohorts.