UC Davis To Study How Different Surfaces Impact Musculoskeletal Load When Jumping

UC Davis has long had a renowned equine sciences program which has solved dozens of age-old equine questions over the years, as well as innovating treatments, nutrition, and overall wellness for our animals. This year, they’re tackling a topic that’s long overdue: a study of surfaces and footing, and their impact on the musculoskeletal load of a horse while jumping.

Researchers will study a number of surfaces by attaching nodes to a horse’s legs and then use a specialized motion capture video to study the subtle changes of effort, spring, impact and more from surface to surface. You can see an example of the video below:

Motion Capture Video System

Every spring, the CEH Scientific Review Committee convenes to fund equine studies that advance veterinary medicine for horses. This year, one of the top scoring grants will investigate the relationship between arena surface materials (footing) and musculoskeletal load.Dr. Sue Stover and her team at the JD Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Laboratory will determine tendon and ligament strains from joint angle data using a validated computer model of the equine forelimb. A motion capture video system will record the takeoff and landing phases of a horse jumping a one meter jump on a variety of arena surfaces.This is the third study in a series that will get us one step closer to identifying the ideal surface conditions that reduce injury rate and prove safety for performance horses. The impact of this work is tremendous, and it would not be possible without the generosity of donors who realize the investment in knowledge.http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vorl/

Posted by UC Davis Center for Equine Health on Tuesday, June 13, 2017

According the the Facebook post from UC Davis, “Dr. Sue Stover and her team at the JD Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Laboratory will determine tendon and ligament strains from joint angle data using a validated computer model of the equine forelimb. A motion capture video system will record the takeoff and landing phases of a horse jumping a one meter jump on a variety of arena surfaces.”

This study could have a tremendous effect on the industry and overall soundness of horses everywhere, and we’ll be eagerly awaiting the results. We’ll be certain to share the full study review with JN when it’s available, and in the meantime, you can learn more about this research by visiting the UC Davis website for the Veterinary Orthopedic Lab.

Go UC Davis, and Go Jumping!