Walking and trotting through a water track affects limb sagittal angles and stride timing in horses

Abstract

Rehabilitation after musculoskeletal injury has become an essential part of veterinary care. Various forms of exercise in water have been described as an effective medium to improve function while preventing further injuries. This study evaluated kinematic changes of horses walking and trotting through a water track (WTr). Eleven Warmblood horses, equipped with IMU sensors (EquiMoves®; one on each leg) were measured overground (OG1), while going through a water track (85 m long; water height 33 cm), and once more overground (OG2). Linear mixed models were used to compare different conditions (p