Locomotory Profiles in Thoroughbreds: Peak Stride Length and Frequency in Training and Association with Race Outcomes

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 23; p. 3269
• Main Authors: Schrurs, Charlotte, Blott, Sarah, Dubois, Guillaume, Van Erck-Westergren, Emmanuelle, Gardner, David S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24.11.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: exercise; Genetics; heritability; horse; Horses; Locomotion; Observational studies; Parameters; Pedigree; Physiology; Racehorses; Races; stride; Tracking devices; Training; Turf; Australia; horse; exercise; performance; stride; heritability

Racehorses competing in short (i.e., ‘sprinters’), middle- or longer-distance (i.e., ‘stayers’) flat races are assumed to have natural variation in locomotion; sprinters having an innately shorter stride than stayers. No study has objectively tested this theory. Here, racehorses (n = 421) were categ...