Remote Gait Assessments for the Horse, Objective Monitoring Over Time
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Remote gait assessments improve access to care by providing objective movement data that supports clinical decision-making across training, rehabilitation, and performance management.
Used alongside in-person veterinary assessment, this approach allows structured monitoring beyond a single visit.
Why is Objective Gait Monitoring Valuable
Subtle asymmetries are often difficult to quantify visually, particularly when they develop gradually or present bilaterally. Objective gait assessment allows movement to be measured and compared over time rather than relying on subjective impression.
The value lies not in a single recording, but in longitudinal tracking.
Monitoring a Diagnosed Lameness
Remote gait analysis is particularly valuable once a lameness has been clinically diagnosed and a management plan established. It is a useful tool in the managment decision making progress not only in more sudden onset lameness, but also during the treatment and/or rehab period.
Objective monitoring allows us to:
Track asymmetry scores following treatment or intervention
Assess response to rehabilitation over defined intervals
Identify plateau or regression before overt deterioration
Inform decisions around progressive loading
When used between in-person reassessments, this data strengthens clinical oversight and supports more precise decision-making. Remote gait assessment does not replace physical examination or diagnostic imaging of your horse, rather its a compliment and allows for tracking over time.
Remote Gait Assessment Tracking of Your Horse Throughout the Year
Workload, surfaces, competition schedules, and rest periods all influence movement patterns.
Establishing a baseline gait profile allows comparison at:
Key training phases
Post-treatment checkpoints
Rehabilitation milestones
Seasonal workload changes
This provides context to interpret whether asymmetry is stable, improving, or progressing.
Pre-Purchase Screening Support
Remote gait assessment can also provide preliminary insight before arranging a formal veterinary pre-purchase examination.
It may:
Identify obvious asymmetries before having a full pre-purchase examination which can save time and a significant expense f
Support screening in interstate or remote purchases
Provide baseline data prior to a structured five-stage PPE
You can read more about how pre-purchase examinations are performed in our article on Pre-Purchase Examination in the Horse.
Rehabilitation Monitoring
Rehabilitation is rarely linear. Objective gait analysis allows structured comparison over months rather than relying solely on perceived improvement.
When combined with progressive loading principles, such as those outlined in the equine rehabilitation book, Building the Balanced Horse, movement data supports safer return-to-work decisions.
Remote gait assessments provide structured, objective monitoring between veterinary visits. When used following diagnosis, during rehabilitation, or throughout the competition year, longitudinal gait data strengthens clinical decision-making and reduces reliance on subjective impression alone.
For more information on how objective gait analysis is performed, you can learn more about SLEIP motion analysis technology.
You can also explore how we integrate SLEIP into preventative screening and performance monitoring in our Preventative Assessment services.
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