Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK.
Equine Vet J. 2011 Mar;43(2):216-22. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00149.x. Epub 2010 Aug 23.
Mechanical characterisation of the high speed gallop has significant importance for animal welfare and basic biology. Kinematic parameters such as the velocity of each foot at contact can inform theories of why animals gallop, and supplant epidemiological investigation into the mechanisms of musculoskeletal injury.
To determine the velocity at which the fore and hind hooves of elite galloping horses impact the surface.
High speed videography was used to measure the horizontal and vertical velocity of the hoof immediately prior to impact, and the subsequent sink (vertical) and slip (horizontal) distances travelled by the hoof into the surface. Horse speed ranged from 11-19 m/s. In total 170 forelimb and 168 hindlimb foot falls from 89 horses were analysed.
Horizontal and vertical hoof velocity increased with speed (P<0.001). Horizontal hoof velocity was significantly greater in the hindlimbs compared to the forelimbs (P<0.001) and was greater in the nonlead limbs compared to the lead limbs (P<0.001). Vertical hoof velocity was significantly greater in the lead limb than the nonlead limb (P<0.001). Overall, forelimbs contacted the ground with a more acute velocity vector angle than hindlimbs (P<0.001). Lead limbs contacted the ground at more acute angles than nonlead limbs (P<0.001). Vertical and horizontal velocities were highly correlated to sink and slip distance.
Hindlimbs impact the surface at higher velocity than forelimbs, which is likely to result in higher peak impact forces in the hindlimbs. This runs counter to the finding of lower incidence of injury in hindlimbs.
Explanations consistent with these findings include the hindlimbs more effectively dampening peak impact forces, or that other injury mechanisms, such as limb vibration and limb load at mid stance, play an important role in injury.
高速疾驰的运动学特征对于动物福利和基础生物学具有重要意义。接触时每只脚的速度等运动学参数可以为动物疾驰的原因提供理论依据，并取代对骨骼肌肉损伤机制的流行病学研究。
确定精英疾驰马的前蹄和后蹄撞击地面的速度。
高速摄像技术用于测量蹄子在触地前的水平和垂直速度，以及蹄子随后进入地面时的沉降（垂直）和滑动（水平）距离。马的速度范围为 11-19 米/秒。共分析了 89 匹马的 170 个前肢和 168 个后肢的蹄子下落情况。
水平和垂直蹄子速度随速度增加而增加（P<0.001）。后肢的水平蹄子速度明显大于前肢（P<0.001），非主导肢的速度大于主导肢（P<0.001）。与非主导肢相比，主导肢的垂直蹄子速度明显更大（P<0.001）。总的来说，前肢接触地面的速度矢量角比后肢更尖锐（P<0.001）。与非主导肢相比，主导肢接触地面的角度更尖锐（P<0.001）。垂直和水平速度与沉降和滑动距离高度相关。
后肢撞击地面的速度高于前肢，这可能导致后肢的峰值冲击力更高。这与后肢受伤发生率较低的发现相悖。
与这些发现一致的解释包括后肢更有效地缓冲峰值冲击力，或者其他损伤机制，如肢体振动和中停时的肢体负荷，在损伤中发挥重要作用。
