Biokinematics under competitive racing conditions in young standardbred trotter horses: A preliminary report

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate equine performance in competitive trotter horses under normal racing conditions. Data of stride length, stride frequency, and mean horse speed were obtained from 50 2-year-old Italian fillies that were winners during the racing and the sprint laps of competition. The enhancement of speed in the sprint lap was obtained by increasing both stride length and stride frequency. Stride frequencies for the racing and the sprint laps were (mean +/- SD) 133.63 +/- 3.93 and 138.97 +/- 6.62 strides per minute, respectively, and stride lengths for the racing and the sprint laps were 7.17 +/- 0.17 and 7.30 +/- 0.11 in, respectively; mean speed was 48.18 +/- 1.09. The usefulness of the kinematic assessments as well as its potential reference for future indicators of performance is discussed in this study.