Wearable Sensors for Equine Lameness Quantification

Lameness remains the most common and significant problem affecting equines, globally. Current methods of lameness assessment, however, are still predominantly subjective and have repeatedly been proven unreliable, particularly for mild cases. Hence, there is demand for a comprehensive quantitative system to detect and assess early-stage lameness, facilitating timely intervention, optimising clinical outcomes and improving welfare. Thus, the overall aim of this thesis was to develop methods to quantify equine gait suitable for lameness detection and assessment under field conditions, with specific focuses on usability in diverse cohorts of horses and suitability for easy integration into training or clinical settings.
First, methods to detect gait events (hoof-on and -off) using distal limb mounted IMUs have been explored. Newly developed pastern-based methods proved more accurate and precise than the current state-of-the-art when tested on a hard control surface and maintained high accuracy on grass and sand. Latter parts of the thesis explore the effect of lameness on aspects of equine gait, including its effect on motion of the distal limbs and upper body, and the relationships between these. A novel method of lameness detection is proposed and tested on a cohort of sound and lame horses. In conclusion, the thesis presents two valuable tools for gait quantification - one for gait event detection the other for lameness assessment - which can easily be implemented under field conditions in a variety of horse types.