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Distal limb wraps produce gait- and material-dependent post-exercise changes in stride timing and limb kinematics in
Larissa Santos Dos Anjos1, Renata Farinelli de Siqueira1
1Department of Animal Science, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
Background:
Distal limb wraps are widely used during equine exercise, but their effects on post-exercise kinematics and movement symmetry remain poorly defined.
Aims/Objectives:
To determine whether elastic and fleece distal limb wraps alter temporal stride variables, distal limb kinematics, and axial movement symmetry after standardised round-pen exercise.
Methods:
Six adult horses completed a prospective crossover study with three conditions: no wraps, elastic wraps, and fleece wraps. Wraps were applied bilaterally to all distal limbs at an initial pressure of 20 mmHg. After 20 minutes of free round-pen exercise, kinematic data were collected on a 50 m sandy track using seven inertial measurement units.
Results:
During walk, wrap condition affected mean duty factor (P=0.041), left forelimb stance duration (P=0.022), and right forelimb retraction (P=0.015). Fleece wraps increased left forelimb stance duration by 0.043 s (95% CI 0.008-0.079; P=0.027) and mean duty factor by 1.14 percentage points (P=0.045) versus no wraps. Elastic wraps increased right forelimb retraction magnitude by 3.27° versus no wraps (95% CI 0.50-6.04; P=0.031). During trot, elastic wraps increased mean duty factor by 5.71 percentage points versus no wraps (P=0.040) and reduced left forelimb swing duration by 0.032 s versus fleece wraps (P=0.018). Axial movement symmetry was unchanged.
Conclusion:
Distal limb wraps produced gait- and material-dependent post-exercise changes in selected temporal and distal limb kinematic variables, particularly during walk, without consistent changes in axial movement symmetry.