Reproducibility of a locomotor test for trotter horses

Locomotion analysis is increasingly used to assess the gait of horses in the selection and training of equine athletes. We have developed a specific locomotor test for fast trotting harnessed horses that uses an accelerometric device. We describe here the reproducibility of the locomotor test and the validation of its use to analyse trotters on the racetrack. We measured the performance of eight horses under the same conditions three times in a single week. We then tested the influence of five tracks on the variables measured using eight different trotters every two days. The horses trotted at three or four velocities (8.3, 10, 11.7 m/s and at maximal velocity) in a straight line for 20 s. The short-term reproducibility of the test was very good for 23/25 variables, with no significant difference in the 23 variables for the three measurements. The two less reproducible variables reflected human error. The different tracks did not alter the stride variables measured. We conclude that the test is an easy, accurate method for analysing gait, as it provides reproducible stride variables for trotting harness horse under field conditions.