Equine Surfaces and Musculoskeletal Injury Diagnosis

Dear Colleagues,

The engineering properties of equine surfaces influence the performance and safety of equine athletes as well as the safety of human participants. Consistent surfaces can also help veterinarians and owners diagnose lameness and evaluate the fitness of horses. Variability in the surface can increase the difficulty of diagnosing lameness, even if more advanced technologies such as inertial measurement units or video-based analysis tools are used. This Special Issue is focused on methods to both improve surface consistency and to measure the performance characteristics of equine sport surfaces.

Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: the development of measurement methods based on biomechanics of equine gait, the use of standard and novel testing methods to characterize equine sport surfaces including racetracks, arenas, courses and fields, the use of lameness diagnosis tools and the relationship to surface performance, and the role of maintenance and design on the performance of equine surfaces.  Studies that integrate clinical veterinary, research, and engineering perspectives are particularly encouraged. This Special Issue seeks to reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of this work and help ensure that the engineering of equine surfaces is based on biomechanics and utilizes the most current epidemiological and clinical research understanding of the role of surfaces in safety and performance.

Prof. Dr. Michael Peterson
Guest Editor

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