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Abstract

Background: Horses commonly show asymmetries that manifest as left (L)-right (R) differences in vertical excursion of axial body segments. Moving on a circle confounds inherent individual asymmetries. Our goals were to evaluate individual and group asymmetry patterns and compare objective data with subjective impressions of side preference/laterality in horses walking on L and R circles. Methods: Fifteen horses walked on L and R circles unridden and ridden on long and short reins. Optical motion capture (150 Hz) tracked skin -fixed markers. Variables were trunk horizontal angle; neck-to-trunk angle; vertical range of motion (ROM) for the head, withers and sacrum; ROM for pelvic roll, pitch, and yaw; mean pelvic pitch; and ROM for hip, stifle and tarsal joints. Differences between inside and outside hind steps were determined for vertical minima and maxima of the head (HMinDiff/ HMaxDiff), withers (WMinDiff/WMaxDiff) and sacrum (PMinDiff/PMaxDiff). Subjective laterality was provided by owners. Data analysis used mixed models, first without and then with subjective laterality. Iterative k-means cluster analysis was used to associate biomechanical variables with subjective laterality. Results: PMaxDiff, PMinDiff and WMaxDiff indicated R limb asymmetry in both directions. WMinDiff indicated L (inside) fore asymmetry for L direction but was close to zero for R direction. Hip ROM was significantly smaller for the inside limb in both directions (L inside/outside: 16.7 degrees vs. 20.6 degrees; R: 17.8 degrees vs. 19.4 degrees). Stifle ROM was significantly larger for the inside limb in both directions (L: 43.1 degrees vs. 39.0 degrees; R: 41.9 degrees vs. 40.4 degrees). Taking the general direction effect into account the R hip and L stifle had larger ROM. Adding laterality to the models (seven horses L-vs. six horses R -hollow), PMaxDiff R hind asymmetry was more obvious for L-hollow horses than for R-hollow horses. L-hollow horses had greater pelvic roll ROM moving in L vs. R direction. L-hollow horses had smaller inside and greater outside hip joint ROM in L vs. R direction. R-hollow horses had a significant difference in HMinDiff between L (0 mm) and R (-14 mm) directions, indicating less head lowering at outside forelimb midstance in R direction, and larger outside tarsal ROM in R (38.6 degrees) vs. L (37.4 degrees) direction (p

Keywords

Kinematics; Laterality; Handedness; Lameness; Asymmetry

Published in

PeerJ
2023, volume: 11, article number: e16373
Publisher: PEERJ INC

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Clinical Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16373

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/127037