title: Lungeing on hard and soft surfaces: Movement symmetry of trotting horses considered sound by their owners.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lungeing is often part of the clinical lameness examination. The difference in movement symmetry, which is a commonly employed lameness measure, has not been quantified between surfaces.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare head and pelvic movement symmetry between surfaces and reins during lungeing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative gait analysis in 23 horses considered sound by their owners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three horses were assessed in-hand and on the lunge on both reins on hard and soft surfaces with inertial sensors. Seven movement symmetry parameters were quantified and used to establish 2 groups, namely symmetrical (n = 9) and forelimb-lame horses (n = 14), based on values from straight-line assessment. Movement symmetry values for left rein measurements were side corrected to allow comparison of the amount of movement symmetry between reins. A mixed model (P<0.05) was used to study effects on movement symmetry of surface (hard/soft) and rein (inside/outside with respect to movement symmetry on the straight).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In forelimb-lame horses, surface and rein were identified as significantly affecting all head movement symmetry measures (rein, all P<0.0001; surface, all P<0.042). In the symmetrical group, no significant influence of surface or rein was identified for head movement symmetry (rein, all P>0.245; surface, all P>0.073). No significant influence of surface or rein was identified for any of the pelvic movement symmetry measures in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While more symmetrical horses showed a consistent amount of movement symmetry across surfaces/reins, horses objectively quantified as lame on the straight showed decreased movement symmetry during lungeing, in particular with the lame limb on the inside of a hard circle. The variation within group questions straight-line movement symmetry as a sole measure of lameness without quantification of movement symmetry on the lunge, ideally on hard and soft surfaces to evaluate differences between reins and surfaces. In future, thresholds for lungeing need to be determined using simultaneous visual and objective assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0702-4289
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pfau
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK.|Department of Large Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Equine Studies, Moulton College, Moulton, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egenvall
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tröster
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rhodin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005684:Gait; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D009068:Movement; D060726:Torso / Q000502:physiology
keywords: horse; lameness; lunge; movement symmetry; surface