Lindsay St. George

University of Central Lancashire | UCLAN · School of Sport and Health Sciences

This study compared muscle activity and movement between the leading (Ld) and trailing (Tr) fore- (F) and hindlimbs (H) of horses cantering overground. Three-dimensional kinematic and surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected from right triceps brachii, biceps femoris, middle gluteal, and splenius from 10 ridden horses during straight lef...

Background: The inter-relationship between equine thoracolumbar motion and muscle activation during normal locomotion and lameness is poorly understood. Objectives: To compare thoracolumbar and pelvic kinematics and longissimus dorsi (longissimus) activity of trotting horses between baseline and induced forelimb (iFL) and hindlimb (iHL) lameness...

The key aim of classification in Para sport is to try and ensure that competitors are grouped so that they compete against others with impairments that cause a similar level of activity limitation within a specific sport. This synthesis aimed to identify existing, valid, and reliable, impairment assessment tools to measure eligible impairments that...

The relationship between lameness-related adaptations in equine appendicular motion and muscle activation is poorly understood and has not been studied objectively. The aim of this study was to compare muscle activity of selected fore- and hindlimb muscles, and movement of the joints they act on, between baseline and induced forelimb (iFL) and hind...

The key aim of classification in Para sport is to try and ensure that competitors are grouped so that they compete against others with impairments that cause a similar level of activity limitation within a specific sport. This synthesis aimed to identify existing, valid, and reliable, impairment assessment tools to measure eligible impairments that...

During lameness, compensatory movement and weight-bearing are perpetuated by altered muscle activation, but adaptive muscle activation timings have not been quantified. Muscle activation timings and activity duration of triceps brachii (triceps) and semitendinosus were measured bilaterally using surface electromyography (sEMG) and compared before a...

In equestrian sports the novice rider learns first to follow the movements of the horse's back and then how to influence the horse's performance. One of the rider's challenges is to overcome inherent horse/rider asymmetry patterns when riding in straight lines, mirroring the movements on the left and right sides when turning. This study compares th...

In dressage, horse-rider combinations must demonstrate harmony whilst performing a test of gaits and movements, scored by judge(s) using predetermined criteria. The para dressage governing body is working towards compliance with the International Paralympic Committee's mandate for evidence-based classification, which requires a comprehensive unders...

As a first step in achieving an evidence-based classification system for the sport of Para Dressage, there is a clear need to define elite dressage performance. Previous studies have attempted to quantify performance with able-bodied riders using scientific methods; however, definitive measures have yet to be established for the horse and/or the ri...

Show jumping horses must execute fences of varying height and width, but the effect of this on jumping kinematics during the airborne phase have not been described. The aim of this study was to describe differences within- and between-horses in CM trajectory, trunk orientation and average trunk angular velocity in a group of elite horses executing...

Selection and training practices for jumping horses have not yet been validated using objective performance analyses. This study aimed to quantify the differences and relationships between movement and muscle activation strategies in horses with varying jump technique to identify objective jumping performance indicators. Surface electromyography (s...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of novel legwear designed to limit metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) extension and redirect loading forces from the flexor apparatus through analyses of 2-D kinematic and kinetic data. ANIMALS 6 adult horses without musculoskeletal disease. PROCEDURES Horses were subjected to 4 treatments: control (no legwear), i...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the ability of novel legwear designed to limit extension of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) to redirect loading forces from the flexor apparatus during walk, trot, and canter on a treadmill and during unrestrained and restrained activity in a stall. ANIMALS 6 adult horses without musculoskeletal disease. PROCEDURES Legwea...

As a first step in achieving an evidence-based classification system for the sport of Para Dressage, there is a clear need to define elite dressage performance. Previous studies have attempted to quantify performance with able-bodied riders using scientific methods; however, definitive measures have yet to be established for the horse and/or the ri...

Background: Movement asymmetry during lameness has been extensively studied using quantitative gait analysis, but limited information exists about adaptive muscle activity occurring during lameness. Objectives: To investigate whether asymmetric muscle activity occurs in superficial pelvic and thoracic limb muscles before and after induced forelimb...

Low-frequency noise attenuation and normalisation are fundamental signal processing (SP) methods for surface electromyography (sEMG), but are absent, or not consistently applied, in equine biomechanics. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different band-pass filtering and normalisation conventions on sensitivity for identifying d...

Selection and training methods for showjumping horses are largely anecdotal, and performance analysis has been proposed as a method for scientifically improving competitive outcomes. To employ performance analysis in showjumping, an understanding of the tacit and explicit knowledge and practices of equestrians is required to identify relevant perfo...

Application Understanding muscular adaptations could inform objective lameness-detection for early diagnosis/ treatment, ultimately serving to detect sub-clinical issues in supposed healthy horses and to reduce pain/ incapacity in lame horses. Introduction The prevalence and impact of lameness on equine welfare has led to extensive research, which...

Introduction: Lameness is the most prevalent cause of occupational disability in horses, but limited information is available about adaptive muscle activity that facilitates movement during lameness. Forelimb (FL) lameness is known to provoke a secondary compensatory hindlimb (HL) lameness and it is hypothesised that this is reflected in HL muscle...

Low-frequency noise attenuation and normalisation are fundamental signal processing (SP) methods for surface electromyography (sEMG), but are absent, or not consistently applied, to equine sEMG and their influences on outcome measures are unknown. During canter, leading hindlimb (LdH) experiences greater vertical loading than trailing hindlimb (TrH...

High-pass filtering (HPF) is a fundamental signal processing method for the attenuation of low-frequency noise contamination, namely baseline noise and movement artefact noise, in human surface electromyography (sEMG) research. Despite this, HPF is largely overlooked in equine sEMG research, with many studies not applying, or failing to describe, t...

Background: The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a common clinical test that can provide information about dynamic movement, but does not reflect movement quality or postural-control strategies, and does not report kinematics of the lower limb. Purpose: To assess the dynamic postural control of healthy subjects using inertial measurement units...

Background: Previous studies have validated methods for determining kinematic gait events using threshold-based techniques. However, a simple method that can be successfully applied to walk, trot and canter is yet to be identified. Objectives: To develop a simple kinematic method to identify the timing of hoof contact (hoof-on), peak vertical fo...

Reasons for performing study: Arena surfaces used for training and competition are influenced by factors such as weather and maintenance, which can lead to spatial variations in functional surface properties. The ability of the horse to adapt to such changes may have implications for injury prevention [1]. Objectives: The aim of the study was to qu...

Reasons for performing study: Differences in jump technique in experienced and inexperienced jumping horses have been described. No studies have investigated differences in muscle activation between elite and non-elite athletes. Objectives: To quantify differences in hindlimb muscle activity between elite and non-elite jumping horses and whether d...

The horse's ability to execute the diverse physical demands of jumping is greatly influenced by muscular adaptations to training. The aim of the study was to provide preliminary insight into potential differences in the functional activity of muscles recruited during phases of the equine jumping effort. An exploratory case study was conducted to in...