Dealing with equine injuries comes with being a horse owner. Some mishaps are more severe than others–such as when Barbaro suffered a catastrophic injury in the 2006 Preakness Stakes–and leave equine enthusiasts asking, "Why?" According to one physical therapist, veterinarians might soon be able to start answering that question thanks to a relatively new technology making an entrance into the horse world.

At the 2011 Florida Association of Equine Practitioner’s Annual Promoting Excellence in the Southeast Convention, held Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Amelia Island, Fla., Michael Torry, PhD, associate professor in Illinois State University’s Biomechanics Research Laboratory, discussed the new technology and what it’s helping researchers understand about equine injury and rehabilitation.

Technology in Action

For an example of how computational models are used in research, take a look at a recent study by Simon Harrison, BSc, BE, a research fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Australia, "Relationship between muscle forces, joint loading, and utilization of elastic strain in equine locomotion," which evaluates the equine fetlock joint

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