The Effect of Screw-in Studs on Equine Hoof and Limb Kinematics while Cantering and Jumping on an Artificial Surface
Keywords:
biomechanics, grip, performance, shoes, slip, tractionAbstract
Studs are used to optimize hoof grip upon contact with the surface to prevent slip and enhance performance. Previous research has explored the influence of uniaxially placed studs on a grass surface during canter, the influence of stud length on braking forces, and the effect of restricted foot slip on bone strains. However, previous work has not addressed the influence of biaxially placed screw-in studs during canter and jumping on an artificial surface. A study was designed using seven actively competing showjumping horses which were subjected to two treatments: no studs (control) and studs. Studs were placed biaxially in the heel of each shoe. Kinematic analysis was conducted using high-speed video footage during canter and jumping. The test fence was set at a height of 1.20m with a width of 1m. No differences in slip distance or slip duration were observed across all phases (P > 0.05). A decrease in stance duration of the leading forelimb was seen at jump landing (P < 0.05). Take-off angle increased by 4.5° (P < 0.05), elbow angle during suspension was more acute (P < 0.05) and landing distance from the fence was greater by 0.31m (P < 0.05). The study demonstrates that canter kinematics were largely unaffected by stud use on an artificial surface; however, unexpectedly, some jumping parameters significantly improved. A reduction in the stance duration at jump landing is concerning as this may lead to higher braking forces in the distal limb, potentially resulting in an increased risk of overload injuries.
References
Harvey AM, Williams SB, Singer ER. The effect of lateral heel studs on the kinematics of the equine digit while cantering on grass. The Veterinary Journal 2012;192:217–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.06.003.
Hernlund E, Egenvall A, Roepstorff L. Kinematic characteristics of hoof landing in jumping horses at elite level. Equine Veterinary Journal 2010;42:462–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00187.x.
Hobbs SJ, Northrop AJ, Mahaffey C, Martin JH, Clayton HM., Murray RC, et al. Equine surfaces white paper 2014.
Pardoe CH, McGuigan MP, Rogers KM, Rowe LL, Wilson AM. The effect of shoe material on the kinetics and kinematics of foot slip at impact on concrete. Equine Veterinary Journal 2001;33:70–3. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2001.tb05363.x.
Parkes RSV, Witte TH. The foot–surface interaction and its impact on musculoskeletal adaptation and injury risk in the horse. Equine Veterinary Journal 2015;47:519–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12420.
Symons JE, Garcia TC, Stover SM. Distal hindlimb kinematics of galloping Thoroughbred racehorses on dirt and synthetic racetrack surfaces. Equine Veterinary Journal 2013;46:227–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12113.
Thomason JJ, Peterson ML. Biomechanical and mechanical investigations of the hoof-track interface in racing horses. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 2008;24:53–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2007.11.007.
Peterson ML, Roepstorff L, Thomason JJ, Mahaffey C, McIllwraith CW. Racing surfaces white paper 2012.
Egenvall A, Tranquille CA, Lönnell AC, Bitschnau C, Oomen A, Hernlund E, et al. Days-lost to training and competition in relation to workload in 263 elite show-jumping horses in four European countries. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 2013;112:387–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2013.09.013.
Singer E, Garcia T, Stover S. Hoof position during limb loading affects dorsoproximal bone strains on the equine proximal phalanx. Journal of Biomechanics 2015;48:1930–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.04.014.
Claußen G, Dürselen R, Krone B, Hessel EF. Evaluation of the factors influencing the rotational shear resistance of horse riding arena surfaces (technical and field investigations). Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2019;74:95–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2018.12.002.
Kane AJ, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Case JT, Johnson BJ, Read DH, et al. Horseshoe characteristics as possible risk factors for fatal musculoskeletal injury of Thoroughbred racehorses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 1996;57:1147–52. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.1996.57.08.1147.
Hill AE, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Kane AJ, Whitcomb MB, Emerson AG. Risk factors for and outcomes of noncatastrophic suspensory apparatus injury in Thoroughbred racehorses. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2001;218:1136–44. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2001.218.1136.
Crevier‐Denoix N, Falala S, Holden‐Douilly L, Camus M, Martino J, Ravary‐Plumioen B, et al. Comparative kinematic analysis of the leading and trailing forelimbs of horses cantering on a turf and a synthetic surface. Equine Veterinary Journal 2013;45:54–61. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12160.
Baker SW. The effect of rootzone composition and grass type on the performance of turf for horse racing in Malaysia. Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute 1995;71:42–51.
Back W, Schamhardt HC, Hartman W, Barneveld A. Kinematic differences between the distal portions of the forelimbs and hind limbs of horses at the trot. American Journal of Veterinary Research 1995;56:1522–8. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.1995.56.11.1522.
Back W, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A. Kinematic comparison of the leading and trailing fore‐ and hindlimbs at the canter. Equine Veterinary Journal 1997;29:80–3. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1997.tb05060.x.
Merkens HW, Schambardt HC, van Osch GJVM, Hartman W. Ground reaction force patterns of Dutch Warmbloods at the canter. American Journal of Veterinary Research 1993;54:670–4. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.1993.54.05.670.
Meershoek LS, Schamhardt HC, Roepstorff L, Johnston C. Forelimb tendon loading during jump landings and the influence of fence height. Equine Veterinary Journal 2001;33:6–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2001.tb05349.x.
Hernlund E, Egenvall A, Peterson ML, Mahaffey CA, Roepstorff L. Hoof accelerations at hoof-surface impact for stride types and functional limb types relevant to show jumping horses. The Veterinary Journal 2013;198:e27–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.09.029.
Rohlf CM, Garcia TC, Marsh LJ, Acutt EV, le Jeune SS, Stover SM. Effects of jumping phase, leading limb, and arena surface type on forelimb hoof movement. Animals (Basel) 2023;13:2122. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132122.
Ničová K, Bartošová J. Still beyond a chance: Distribution of faults in elite show-jumping horses. PLoS One 2022;17:e0264615–e0264615. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264615.
Clayton HM, St. George L, Sinclair J, Hobbs SJ. Characteristics of the flight arc in horses jumping three different types of fences in Olympic competition. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2021;104:103698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103698.
Ducro BJ, Koenen EPC, van Tartwijk JMFM, Bovenhuis H. Genetic relations of movement and free-jumping traits with dressage and show-jumping performance in competition of Dutch Warmblood horses. Livestock Science 2007;107:227–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2006.09.018.
Rovere G, Ducro BJ, van Arendonk JAM, Norberg E, Madsen P. Genetic correlations between dressage, show jumping and studbook‐entry inspection traits in a process of specialization in Dutch Warmblood horses. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 2017;134:162–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.12241.
Bonow S, Eriksson S, Strandberg E, Thorén Hellsten E, Gelinder Viklund Å. Phenotypic associations between linearly scored traits and sport performance in the Swedish Warmblood horse population. Livestock Science 2024;282:105438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105438.
Clayton HM, Barlow DA. Stride characteristics of four Grand Prix jumping horses. Equine Exercise Physiology 1991;3:151–7.
Becker K, Lewczuk D. Variability of jump biomechanics between horses of different age and experience using commercial inertial measurement unit technology. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2022;119:104146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104146.
O’Brien C, Marr N, Thorpe C. Microdamage in the equine superficial digital flexor tendon. Equine Veterinary Journal 2021;53:417–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13331.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Thomas Dunbar, Soraya Morscher
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
