Trotting stride variables of the North American Akhal-Teke Horse

Abstract Text: Although the population is less than 350 horses placing it on the threatened breed list of the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC), the Akhal-Teke Horse of North America is as a source and a reservoir for genetic diversity for the ancient breed as it includes bloodlines that are unique.  Preservation of the breed and its distinctive characteristics such as its smooth and elastic gaits is of top priority to the ALBC and the Akhal-Teke Association of America, and to accomplish this, a better understanding of the breed is needed.  Therefore, the objectives of this study were to measure and describe the stride timing found in the trot of the Akhal-Teke Horse of North America.  Subjects (n=6) were selected through the direction of the ALBC and the Akhal-Teke Association of America based on bloodlines and performance history.  Each horse was filmed at 60 Hz being ridden under saddle by a rider familiar with the horse at a trot with hoof contact and lift-off documented using frame-by-frame analysis.  Means (SD) were determined for 10 strides for each horse with variables given as % of stride and variability of measurements indicated using the coefficient of variation (CV) expressed as a % of mean.  The trot was performed in a diagonal footfall pattern that alternated between periods of unipedal (Hind: 10±1%, CV 6%; Fore: 10±2%, CV 19%) and bipedal (Diagonal: 80±2%, CV 3%) supports.  The trotting velocity (4.34±0.15 m/s, CV 3%) was achieved using a stride length of 2.96±0.25 m (CV 8%), rate of 1.47±0.11 strides/s (CV 7%), and duration of 683±49 ms (CV 7%) with the limbs spending the majority of the stride in the swing phase (Fore: 55±2%, CV 6%; Hind: 54±2%, CV 4%).  The diagonal limbs moved as couplets, both at hoof contact (Advanced Placement: 5±1%, CV 15%) and lift-off (Advanced Lift-Off: 5±1%, CV 19%), creating a 4-beat rhythm.  Coupling, rather than pairing of limbs, was similar to the stride timing reported in previous research for Dutch Warmblood and Standardbred horses, but the unpairing of diagonal limbs occurred at dissimilar velocities.  In addition, the absence of suspension that has been reported for other trotting breeds such as the Dutch Warmblood and Morgan horse was also produced at a velocity distinctive from the other breeds suggesting velocity may account for the uniqueness of the trot of the Akhal-Teke Horse of North America.

Keywords: Akhal-Teke