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Horse study is under starter's orders
January 27, 1999A LINK between asymmetry in horses, and poor performance and lameness could revolutionise the way they are cared for, as well as change the way they are prepared for racing.
"There is widespread public concern regarding the welfare of horses in sport," said Dr Gail Williams, head of the Equine Biomechanics research team. "In a pilot study we found that 98 out of 100 horses showed some level of asymmetry and the greater the levels of asymmetry the poorer the performance of the horse."
The researchers will be collaborating with major thoroughbred stud farms to measure bone length and joint angles in foals from birth to when they start racing as two year olds.
In addition to the physical measurement of the horses, the team plan to use a Force Plate - a sensor device buried in the ground - which measures the forces generated each time the hoof hits the ground. Using this system the team can also measure asymmetries in the way the horse moves. It is hoped that funding will shortly be found to provide a force plate installation at a racetrack.
There is considerable evidence that in human athletes, differences in left/right leg length and joint angles can result in poor performance and predispose them to injury. Much can be done for humans to compensate for these physical imperfections, such as using lifts in shoes.
Gail Williams said: "Thousands of pounds have been spent on developing air cushioned shoes for athletes yet race horses are still wearing the same metal shoes they have worn for the past two hundred years.
"If we can further prove the correlation between asymmetry and poor performance, then we will have a very effective way of identifying those horses most at risk of injury and those that are likely to be the elite of the race track.
"We hope that the results of the research will significantly improve equine welfare and our understanding of the differences in the performance of race horses."
Bradford, University of
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