ANALYSIS OF EQUINE GAITS TO OPTIMIZE ENGLISH-SPECIFIC DISCIPLINE ASSIGNMENTS An Undergraduate Research Project Submitted to Dr. Cord Brundage of the Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Pomona, California Rachel Christensen Bachelor of Science in Animal Science Emphasis in Pre-Veterinary Studies Allison Traylor Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Christina Vagenas Bachelor of Science in Animal Science Emphasis in Pre-Veterinary Studies 1 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................3 2. Research Hypothesis ....................................................................................................................5 3. Materials and Methods .................................................................................................................5 3.1 Animal Science ......................................................................................................................5 3.2 Civil Engineering ...................................................................................................................6 4. Results ..........................................................................................................................................7 5. Discussion ..................................................................................................................................10 6. Conclusion and Justification ......................................................................................................12 References ......................................................................................................................................14 2 Abstract There are over 400 different breeds of the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus), each selectively bred for a purpose. Breed differences frequently result in a distinctive gait, or body movement. Individual horses may also have gait variations that differ from other members of that breed. When put under a saddle, these gait movements result in an altered experience for the rider; with some gaits causing increased jostling or rider movement. The utility of a horse in a specific discipline is dependent, in part, on the impact, or bounce, factor experienced while riding that horse. The gait of horses (n=10) was analyzed and an evaluation technique was created to predict, based on the trot gait, the degree of bounce factor that would be experienced on a particular horse. This technique will allow breeders, riders, and trainers working with a horse to quickly and objectively select the discipline best suited for that horse without needing to ride, and subjectively assign the horse to an English-specific discipline. Keywords: bounce factor, horse gaits, horse training, impact factor 1. Introduction Since horses were first domesticated over 6,000 years ago, man has specifically bred the next generation of equines to be better suited for man’s needs [8]. Because man’s needs vary across the globe, different breeds were produced with various capabilities. These breeds were categorized into three main categories: hot bloods, cold bloods, and warmbloods with ponies as a separate and distinctive category. Hot-blooded horses are generally of light or saddle-type build and used for various riding disciplines [1]. They can have a spirited temperament and possess speed and endurance [4]. Cold-blooded horses are used for slower paced work that involves 3 heavy loads such has plowing and pulling wagons. This category can also include some breeds of ponies [3]. These horses frequently have a calmer temperament and have great strength due to its larger frame and build [4]. The last category is a combination of hot and cold types, hence the term: warmblood. Warmbloods were created by crossing certain breeds from the hot and cold types and breeding for specific traits from each. This new type developed into specialized riding horses that excelled in various performances of equine sports including dressage, jumping, or western riding [6]. With over 400 various breeds, each breed has an individual purpose and thus differing ways of using energy to produce the physical action of movement. Horses are non-stationary animals that use bodily movements to travel from one location to the next location. These bodily movements are referred to as gaits. Most horses have four main natural gaits: walk, trot, canter, and gallop [7]. There are some specialty breeds that have be trained to exhibit modified gaits called “ambling” gaits that are faster than the walk but slower than the canter, or pace gaits where the same side legs hit the ground simultaneously. These modified gaits produce distinctly different movements than regular gaits and many benefits such as smoothness and ease of riding [10]. Each gait has a different speed but the most commonly used gaits in horseback riding are the natural gaits. The walk is a four-beat gait and is the slowest at about 4 mph. The next fastest gait is the trot, which averages about 8 mph and is a two-beat gait. Then the three-beat canter is the next fastest gait at about 10-17 mph. Finally, the four-beat gallop is about 25-30 mph [2]. Since each gait is physiologically different, it can be expected that each gait will feel different when being ridden under saddle. These different feelings are what make each horse suitable for various riding disciplines. 4 2. Research Hypothesis In horseback riding, the horses go through the three most common gaits: walk, trot, and canter. The gait is created through movement of the horse’s limbs and pelvis. When the horse shifts its weight, this creates the movement. To determine how much a horse moves, an evaluation of the displacement from the horizontal is needed. The horizontal will be determined with an invisible line drawn across the horse’s back. Any movement above or below the horizontal line is seen as a displacement. Because a variety of horse breeds are used for various equestrian sports, it can be assumed that some horses are more suitable to certain disciplines due to this difference in displacement. 3. Materials and Methods Animal Science In the process of measurement, the horses were documented anonymously. Their age, breed, gender, and height (using an equine height stick) were recorded as well as the discipline/disciplines the horse is currently performing. The horse was warmed up using the “join up” technique and was trotted several times before asking to exhibit the trot for the video. If the horse was not eager to move forward or was excited and jumping forward, they were warmed up until a natural trot was performed. Then, in front of a stationary video camera, the horse was asked to perform the trot in hand. The horse was approximately 3 meters from the camera. The location of the performance was in an arena approximately 68.5 meters long by 45.7 meters wide and had metal railing with the rails 49.5 centimeters apart. The trot of each equine subject was recorded using a steady video camera for approximately ten seconds each. After downloading the video to a computer, the video of each movement was broken down frame-by-frame and three 5 points in a complete movement cycle were isolated: high point (where the horse’s wither was at its greatest peak), low point (where the horse’s wither was at its lowest peak), and middle point (the average between the high and low point; presenting as the reference, or horizontal point.). The frame-by-frame breakdown was then given to a civil engineer for analysis to determine displacement values for each horse. Through interviews with the horses’ owners, riders, and trainers, it can be determined if a correlation in displacement values is found within horses of a specific discipline. Civil Engineering During this research process CAD technology was used to find and analyze the displacement of a horse's trot. The process started by taking close up pictures of the horse. These pictures were then imported into AutoCAD. This software is used to determine the displacement of the trot by using the fixed value between the metal railings as a standardized measurement. When finding the displacement, it can be visually shown that the displacement of the trot on three different pictures by including the green line and using the red line as a reference point. The process was repeated for each individual horse’s three points of movement. The subsequent pictures were then used to create an analysis of the displacement of each horse’s trot and were compared to horses of similar disciplines to observe a correlation. 6 4. Results Figure 1: Low point in trot cycle from Subject B indicating a negative displacement Figure 2: Middle point in trot cycle from Subject B which is used as reference line 7 Figure 3: High point in trot cycle from Subject B indicating a positive displacement Figures 1-3: Representative Subject B demonstrates a complete trot cycle with displacement analysis using AutoCAD software 8 Chart 1: Chart of equines used in experiment with corresponding color-coded information Graph 1: Equine displacement values (positive and negative) exhibiting all equine subjects with disciplines indicated with colors from Chart 1 9 Average Equine Displacement 6.00 5.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 Displacement (cm) Displacement