19 June 2024

Sleip automatically identifies horse movement as walk, trot, or canter. While asymmetry measurements are still exclusive to trot, the high-quality, slow-motion tracking videos provide valuable visual documentation of other gaits.

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To support this, Sleip has introduced automatic labelling of walk and canter recordings so that these are easily identified in the list of recordings under each horse. To create quality documentation videos in walk or canter, simply select straight line or longeing and record the horse. Upload the recording to receive the slow-motion, zoomed-in Sleip video. You can access both this and the original recording in the app.

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Why are asymmetries analysed at trot?

Objective gait analysis tools such as Sleip are optimised for use at the trot. There are two main reasons for this:

• Symmetry: The trot is a symmetrical, two-beat gait where diagonal pairs of legs move together. This symmetry makes deviations more noticeable and easier to detect compared to asymmetrical gaits like the walk or canter.
• Increased load and dynamics: The forces exerted on a horse's limbs are greater at the trot than at the walk, making subtle asymmetries or signs of lameness more pronounced. The increased dynamic loading can exacerbate the asymmetry, making it easier to detect.

"We’ve seen that many users choose Sleip to create videos at walk and canter as well. While the app currently does not measure asymmetries at these gaits, we naturally welcome the expanded use of the app for documentation,” says Dr. Aagje Hardeman, Sleip's Global Customer Success Manager.

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