A Model Based Velocity Study of Walking and Trotting Horses

Animals adapt their way of moving as their locomotion speed changes. Strong correlations between velocity, kinematic, and kinetic parameters have been demonstrated in many studies of equine locomotion [1], [2]. In our work, we are seeking to understand what is driving these changes. In particular, we are investigating simplistic models that could potentially explain these adaptations in a fundamental way. This approach could be interpreted as a variational study, in which changes in a parameter (i.e., velocity) allow us to draw conclusions about the underlying nature of a process (i.e., locomotion).