Equine Performance Testing
The Auburn University Veterinary Sports Medicine Program has explored new technologies to analyze performance in athletic and working horses. These technologies enable us to monitor horses while they are working in their environment, and with all the stimuli of that environment. This allows us to evaluate horses in a natural non-laboratory setting. For example, performance evaluations may include cardiac measurements, blood samples, velocity, distance traveled by the horse, and high speed motion analysis of the horse. Therefore, we can conduct a more accurate performance evaluation of the horse.
Heart Rate, GPS, and Body Temperature
Using the above mentioned technology, we have developed a way to sample heart rates and core temperature every 2 seconds while the horse is resting, anticipating work, working, and recovering from work. We can also track a horse’s speed and distance covered every 3.5 seconds using global positioning satellite technology. This allows us to gauge what type of physical work the horse is doing. We can then download that data to a lap top in the field and analyze it. This gives us a more in depth understanding of the metabolic status of the horse.
Usually temperatures are sampled before and after exercise. With this method it is hard to know at what point core temp starts to rise, level off, and fall back down to normal limits. Also with this method it is hard to determine if temperature is affected by certain activities. With our new method of taking core temperatures, we can sample a temperature down to a thousandth of a degree fahrenheit every second. For example, our new system would be able to sample 2,700 individual temperature samples during a 45 minute workout. This would reveal at what point the temperature started to rise, when the temperature started to level off, and when the temperature started to fall during recovery. We feel this system gives us a more accurate representation of metabolic status of the horse.
Motion Analysis
The AUVSMP has the ability to use high speed video cameras to analyze almost any movement or component of movement that a horse executes during a sports skill. Movements can either be analyzed via slow motion analysis or movements can be analyzed by quantification of kinematic measurements. By using our Peak Motus 8.1 Software package we can quantify movement by calculating ranges of motion, limb and joint velocities and accelerations, and many other quantified measurements of motion. This allows us to assess body movement to help diagnose an injury, reveal a possible risk of injury, or help refine the movement of a sports skill.
Epiglottis Function
The AUVSMP is currently experimenting with a new wireless NANO video camera for evaluation of the equine nasopharnex during performance. The camera is approximately 5 mm in diameter, has four LED lights at the end, and is attached to a 30 inch long wire that runs to a small image receiving and transmission unit. The unit is capable of transmitting the video image up to 100 ft to a laptop or monitor. The laptop can record and store the video image. The video can then be further analyzed by a clinician using motion analysis software or slow motion analysis software.
