Comparison of limb loading and movement of Icelandic horses while tölting and trotting at equal speeds.

Objective: To compare gait mechanics and limb loading in Icelandic horses tölting and trotting at equal speeds and estimate their impact on orthopedic health.

Animals: 12 orthopedically normal Icelandic horses. PROCEDURES Kinetic and kinematic gait variables were simultaneously recorded as each horse was ridden at a tölt and trot on an instrumented treadmill at 3.

Effects of shoeing on limb movement and ground reaction forces in Icelandic horses at walk, tölt and trot.

Tölt is a symmetric four-beat gait with a speed range extending into that of trot and canter. Specific shoeing methods, such as unnaturally high and long hooves, are used to enforce individual gait predisposition. The aim of this study was to assess the consequences of this shoeing style on loading and movement of the limbs at walk, tölt and trot, and at different velocities.

Effects of shoeing on intra- and inter-limb coordination and movement consistency in Icelandic horses at walk, tölt and trot.

To enhance expressiveness of forelimb movement and improve the four-beat rhythm of the tölt, Icelandic horses are commonly ridden with excessively high and long hooves. The aim of this study was to objectively assess the effect of shoeing on intra- and inter-limb coordination and limb movement consistency (inter-stride variability) at walk, tölt and trot. Thirteen sound and fit Icelandic horses accustomed to exercise with a rider on a treadmill were assessed with long and high hooves commonly used for competition (S(H)) and with the hooves trimmed according to the standards of normal shoeing (S(N)).

Saddle pressure distributions of three saddles used for Icelandic horses and their effects on ground reaction forces, limb movements and rider positions at walk and tölt.

Icelandic horse riding practices aim to place the rider further caudally on the horse's back than in English riding, claiming that a weight shift toward the hindquarters improves the quality of the tölt (e.g. giving the shoulder more freedom to move).