Ergonomic considerations for close inspection and palpation of horse limbs
Tracks
Room 3
| Wednesday, December 2, 2026 |
| 2:10 PM - 2:30 PM |
| Concurrent Room 2 |
Overview
Marco Lopes
Speaker
Marco Lopes
College Of Vet Med, Oklahoma State University
Ergonomic considerations for close inspection and palpation of horse limbs
Abstract
Aims: 1- To assess the ergonomics of manoeuvres and postures for close inspection and palpation of each limb of a conscious full-size horse (weighing 400kg or more) restrained by the halter; 2- To find the approaches likely to minimize the risk of overloading the examiner’s back or exposing the examiner to kicks and strikes by the horse during close inspection and palpation of horse limbs.
Methods: Videos and photos of close inspection and palpation of horse limbs performed by horse veterinarians and final year veterinary students was assessed by a physical educator, a physical therapist and two horse veterinarians. For each task, the most ergonomic posture was defined as the posture likely to minimize the strain on the examiner’s lower back and the risk of exposing the examiner to kicks and strikes by the horse.
Results: A sequence of the safest postures and transitions between postures for individuals inspecting and palpating each one of the horse’s limbs was defined. A forelimb must be approached from the side. A hindlimb must be approached from the front. Whenever possible, the hindlimb being examined should be brought forward (i.e., protracted) to allow the examiner to be as far as possible from the kick zone. To hold a limb up (i.e., with the hoof off the ground), the examiner must avoid bending their lower back and provide additional protection to their lower back using arm support.
Conclusions: The safest postures and transitions between postures for inspection and palpation of each one of the horse’s limbs were identified. The adequacy of the judicious postures and transitions between postures developed in this study require definitive confirmation with objective methods (e.g., kinematics, kinetics, electromyography and/or digital human modeling). Objective assessment would also provide valuable insight into any necessary improvements with the aim of maximizing safety.
Methods: Videos and photos of close inspection and palpation of horse limbs performed by horse veterinarians and final year veterinary students was assessed by a physical educator, a physical therapist and two horse veterinarians. For each task, the most ergonomic posture was defined as the posture likely to minimize the strain on the examiner’s lower back and the risk of exposing the examiner to kicks and strikes by the horse.
Results: A sequence of the safest postures and transitions between postures for individuals inspecting and palpating each one of the horse’s limbs was defined. A forelimb must be approached from the side. A hindlimb must be approached from the front. Whenever possible, the hindlimb being examined should be brought forward (i.e., protracted) to allow the examiner to be as far as possible from the kick zone. To hold a limb up (i.e., with the hoof off the ground), the examiner must avoid bending their lower back and provide additional protection to their lower back using arm support.
Conclusions: The safest postures and transitions between postures for inspection and palpation of each one of the horse’s limbs were identified. The adequacy of the judicious postures and transitions between postures developed in this study require definitive confirmation with objective methods (e.g., kinematics, kinetics, electromyography and/or digital human modeling). Objective assessment would also provide valuable insight into any necessary improvements with the aim of maximizing safety.
Biography
I am a horse veterinarian with extensive clinical, research and teaching experience. I am board certified large animal surgeon (American College of Veterinary Surgeons) and registered specialist in equine surgery (Veterinary Practitioners Board of NSW). As a surgeon, I need to examine horses which frequently includes close inspection and palpation of their limbs. As a teacher, my duties certainly include explaining and demonstrating measures for safely handling and examination of horses. Since I was a toddler, I have been privileged to be around horses. Through my interactions with horses, I naturally learned a lot about equine behavior including the horses’ tendency to flight or fight when they may use their weapons (teeth, head, limbs, large body) to bite, hit, kick, push, stump. While working with horses as a veterinarian, I have had my own work-related injuries despite being almost always very careful to protect myself. During my training and during my work in academia, I have been disappointed with the lack of evidence-based teaching about the risks of working with horses and how to prevent work-related injuries. Thus, for many years, I have been focused on developing my own safety protocols to prevent injuries while working with horses. I want to work closely with ergonomists to further develop my own safety protocols to further improve my odds of preventing horse-related injuries and to create guidelines to help others work safely around horses. I ma eager to come to the HFESA 2026 to learn from the experts in prevention of work-related in injuries and hopefully stablish connections for collaboration in the near future.
