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The Effect of Training on Stride Duration in a Cohort of Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses

Parkes, R S V; Weller, R; Pfau, T; Witte, T H

Authors

R S V Parkes

R Weller

T Pfau

T H Witte



Abstract

Objective gait monitoring is increasingly accessible to trainers. A more comprehensive understanding of ‘normal’ gait adaptations is required. Forty two-year-old thoroughbred racehorses were recruited when entering training and followed for 22 months. Gait analysis was performed by equipping each horse with an inertial measurement unit with inbuilt GPS (GPS-IMU) mounted on the dorsum. Horses were exercised as per their regular training regimen. Data were analysed using a linear mixed model. For two-year-old horses, there was a non-linear pattern of stride duration (SD) over time (p < 0.001) with SD decreasing initially and then ‘flattening off’ over time (linear and quadratic coefficients −0.29 ms/week and 0.006 ms/week2). Horses showed an increase in SD of 2.21 ms (p < 0.001) per 100 m galloped, and over time, SD decreased by 0.04 ms (p < 0.001) with each 100 m galloped per week. Three-year-old horses overall showed no change in SD over time (p = 0.52), but those that had a period of time off showed a decrease in SD of −0.59 ms per week (p = 0.02). They showed an increase in SD of 1.99 ms (p < 0.001) per 100 m galloped, and horses that had a period of time off showed an increase in stride duration of 1.05 ms per 100 m galloped (p = 0.01) compared to horses which did not have time off. Horses demonstrate an adaptation to high-speed exercise over time. SD decreases with training when other factors are controlled for in naïve horses.

Citation

Parkes, R. S. V., Weller, R., Pfau, T., & Witte, T. H. (2019). The Effect of Training on Stride Duration in a Cohort of Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals, 9(7), 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9070466

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 17, 2019
Publication Date Jul 22, 2019
Deposit Date Aug 1, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Animals
Publisher MDPI
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 9
Issue 7
Pages 466
DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9070466
Public URL https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1381156

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