KINEMATICS OF UNMOUNTED AND MOUNTED HORSES AT WALK BEFORE AND AFTER TREADMILL EXERCISE

To determine the influence of strenuous exercise on kinematic variable s at the walk, eight horses underwent an exercise test on a treadmill unmounted and mounted. The workload, represented by heart rate and pla sma lactate concentration, was significantly higher in the mounted hor ses. The evaluation of walk kinematics before and after strenuous exer cise, showed that each horse had a characteristic pattern of head move ment and joint motions, that were not changed by a rider's weight or s trenuous exercise. Comparing kinematic variables at the walk before an d after strenuous exercise, the mounted horses showed significant incr eases of stride duration, stride length, absolute stance duration, max imal fetlock extension in fore and hind limbs and range of pro-/retrac tion of the forelimb, and a decrease in vertical height of the head. I t is concluded that a strenuous workload significantly influences kine matics, even at the walk, although each horse kept its characteristic pattern.