The gait marcha of 104 brazilian breed Mangalarga Marchador horses was studied using a video recorder (sistem: VHS PAL SECAM, 50 pictures/sec.). Horses were observed in motion on lateral view under normal playing speed for 10 seconds and the video was also observed frame by frame. Eight epochs of the stride phases (one, two and three supporting feet) and the stride suspension phases were recorded. From 104 horses, 98 showed eight variations in the gait which were allocated to different groups (A - H). The other six remaining horses showed two distinct supporting sequencies and so were allocated into two aditional groups. The first group containing 98 horses, 32 showed ideal marcha, displaying the same supporting sequence as walking (group A). The gait of 34 horses was characterized by one supporting hind limb, diagonal and lateral two supporting limbs as well as anterior three supporting limbs (group B). A total of 18 horses showed one posterior supporting foot, diagonal two supporting feet and three anterior supporting feet (group C). Five horses showed an unic assymetric gait (group D). Three horses showed a gait with a suspension phase in the supporting sequence (group E). Three horses showed anterior and posterior one supporting limb and diagonal and lateral two supporting limbs (group F). Two horses showed diagonal and lateral two supporting limbs and anterior three supporting limbs (group G). One horse showed diagonal two supporting limbs and anterior and posterior three supporting limbs (group H). The other six horses showed A and C (1), A and D (1), B and D (2), B and G (1) and C and F (1) gaits. The gait of Mangalarga Marchador horses was different to the ideal marcha, and all these differences were observed between trotting and pacing.
gait; marcha; mangalarga marchador; horses
