The application of high‐speed cinematography for the quantitative analysis of equine locomotion

Abstract

Locomotive disorders constitute a serious problem in horse racing which will only be rectified by a better understanding of the causative factors associated with disturbances of gait. A system for the quantitative analysis of the locomotion of horses at speed is described. The method is based on high-speed cinematography with a semi-automatic system of analysis of the films. The recordings are made with a 16 mm high-speed camera run at 500 frames/s (fps) and the films are analysed by special film-reading equipment and a mini-computer. The time and linear gait variables are presented in tabular form and the angles and trajectories of the joints and body segments are presented graphically.