Oscilações da marcha de equinos mensuradas por acelerometria: evidências preliminares para a individualização da equoterapia no IFMG Bambuí

Abstract

Equine-assisted therapy offered by IFMG – Campus Bambuí had, until then, been conducted with horses selected based on observational criteria, without objective biomechanical standardization of gait. This pilot study aimed to measure gait oscillations of horses used in therapy sessions through triaxial accelerometry coupled to the saddle, generating parameters for therapeutic individualization. Five adult horses were evaluated during 60 seconds of locomotion (30s at walk and 30s at trot), with acceleration records along the X (anteroposterior), Y (lateromedial), and Z (ventrodorsal) axes. The instrumentation proved to be feasible in a real clinical environment and enabled the identification of specific oscillation profiles for each animal, as well as greater movement amplitude at trot compared to walk across all axes. These interindividual and inter-gait differences provide preliminary evidence that biomechanical characterization of gait may support the selection of the most suitable horse for each participant’s therapeutic goals, contributing to a more standardized and data-driven equine assisted therapy. According to the National Association of Equine-Assisted Therapy (ANDE Brasil), the ideal horse presents a rhythmic, cadenced, and three-dimensional walk, capable of providing proprioceptive and vestibular stimuli relevant to functional rehabilitation, assisting in the modulation of muscle tone and in reducing deficits in basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Further studies with larger samples and statistical validation of the obtained parameters are proposed.