Vincent Casey

Noseband use in equestrian sports - an international study

Nosebands are used by riders to prevent the horse from opening its mouth, to increase control and, in some cases, to comply with the competition rules. While equestrian texts traditionally recommend that two adult human fingers should be able to fit under a fastened noseband, noseband tightness levels are not, in general, regulated in competition. Possible detrimental consequences for the horse, of excessively tight nosebands, include discomfort, pain or tissue damage. The current study investigated noseband usage in equestrian competition. Data regarding noseband type, position, width and tightness were collected from 750 horses in eventing (n = 354), dressage (n = 334) and performance hunter (n = 62) competitions in Ireland, England and Belgium. Data were collected immediately before or after the performance. Using the ISES taper gauge as a guide, results were classified according to the number of ‘fingers’ that could fit under the noseband at the nasal planum, and assigned to six groups: greater than 2 fingers; 2 fingers; 1.5 fingers; 1 finger; 0.5 fingers; zero fingers. A calliper was used to measure noseband width and position relative to the facial crest. The data were not normally distributed so Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used. In all, 44% of horses fell into the zero fingers classification while only 7% were in the two fingers classification. Significant differences emerged between disciplines (p<0.001), with the highest levels of noseband tightness measured among eventers followed by dressage horses with lowest levels among performance hunters. Noseband tightness did not differ significantly with horse age (p>0.05), which ranged from 4 to 19 years. The flash noseband was the most commonly used noseband (n = 326) and was significantly tighter than the cavesson (p < 0.001), drop noseband (p < 0.001) and the Micklem (p < 0.005). Noseband width ranged from 10 to 50 mm. Noseband position varied widely with the distance between the facial crest and upper noseband margin ranging from 0 to 70 mm. The high proportion of very tight nosebands found in this study raises concerns regarding the short and long term behavioural and physiological consequences of such tight nosebands are for the horse. Although these data are currently lacking, the findings are of concern.

Wearable sub-bandage pressure measurement system

A new flexible sensor technology has been developed for use in non-invasive biomedical pressure sensing application. Supporting electronic systems were developed to facilitate use of the sensors for bandage training workshops and for outpatient and sub-acute compression therapy pressure monitoring. Preliminary results indicate that the technology provides quantitative data relating to applied pressure, pressure gradients and pressure fluctuations occurring under bandages routinely used in compression therapy. The availability of such quantitative data should allow clinicians correlate satisfactory medical outcomes with specific treatment regimes.

Elastomer microspring arrays for biomedical sensors fabricated using micromachined silicon molds

An approach to the implementation of micromachined structures in silicon suitable for use in the molding of large area elastomer microspring arrays is presented. Such arrays are of interest as primary sensing elements in the development of improved biomedical interface pressure sensors having low profile but with relatively large area so as to reduce interface measurement artifacts. The approach exploits the special features of anisotropically etched silicon to generate molds which are then used to form elastomer microspring array structures with individual array element shapes designed to optimize spring mechanical performance parameters. The basic shape used is a trench of trapezoidal cross section with depth in the range 5–40 µm, and length which may extend close to the edges of the die, i.e. 9.5 mm long. The molding process produces complementary elastomer structures with corresponding precision to that of the molds. Preliminary, stress–strain results for the arrays are inconsistent with simple elastic theory. However, it is found that a straightforward interpretation of the data is possible using the elastic theory for large deflections by incorporating an empirical shape factor adjustment. Experimentally determined Youngs moduli ranged from 300 kPa to 560 kPa for the microspring arrays tested. This approach offers the potential to match and optimize elastomer microspring array mechanical properties to specific biomedical interface sensor requirements.

OroPress a new wireless tool for measuring oro-lingual pressures: a pilot study in healthy adults

BackgroundCommercially available tools for measuring oro-lingual pressures during swallowing or isometric (tongue ‘pushing’) tasks have either poor, or unknown, psychometric properties (stability, reliability) which means their validity in a clinical setting is unknown. A new wireless tool, OroPress, has been designed to address the shortcomings of existing devices. In this pilot cohort study of normal adults (i.e., people without dysphagia), the face validity of OroPress was examined when it was used to measure oro-lingual pressures during (i) isometric tongue strength (ITS) tasks and (ii) isometric tongue endurance (ITE) tasks.The effects of gender on isometric oro-lingual data, captured using OroPress, were compared to published oro-lingual pressure data recorded using either the Kay Swallowing Workstation or the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (aka commercial tools).MethodsThirty five adults (17 males, 18 females), were purposefully recruited at the University of Limerick (UL), Ireland. They attended one session at the university-based clinic where their oro-lingual pressures were recorded while undertaking two isometric tasks by speech and language therapy student clinicians. OroPress was used to capture tongue strength and tongue endurance pressures during two trials of each condition and data were downloaded and analysed post-hoc. An independent-samples t-test and an ANOVA were used to examine the effect of gender on ITS pressures (as data were normally distributed) and an independent-samples t-test was used for the effect of gender on ITE pressures (where data were not normally distributed).ResultsOroPress is a portable tool that was reported as being ‘easy to use’ by student SLT clinicians. The intra-oral sensor was reportedly comfortable and ‘felt non-invasive’ for participants. Data from 34 participants (16 males, 18 females) are reported.Males did not demonstrate significantly higher mean ITS pressures than females (P = 0.057), although this approached significance, and there was no gender effect for ITE oro-lingual pressure. These results were consistent with published data from studies where other tools have been used to measure ITS pressures.ConclusionsPreliminary face validity of OroPress as a tool for recording isometric oro-lingual pressures was supported. This new wireless tool shows promise for being a criterion standard for recording oro-lingual pressures during isometric tasks.

An objective measure of noseband tightness and Its measurement using a novel digital tightness gauge

Noseband tightness is difficult to assess in horses participating in equestrian sports such as dressage, show jumping and three-day-eventing. There is growing concern that nosebands are commonly tightened to such an extent as to restrict normal equine behaviour and possibly cause injury. In the absence of a clear agreed definition of noseband tightness, a simple model of the equine nose-noseband interface environment was developed in order to guide further studies in this area. The normal force component of the noseband tensile force was identified as the key contributor to sub-noseband tissue compression. The model was used to inform the design of a digital tightness gauge which could reliably measure the normal force component of the noseband tensile force. A digital tightness gauge was developed to measure this parameter under nosebands fitted to bridled horses. Results are presented for field tests using two prototype designs. Prototype version three was used in field trial 1 (n = 15, frontal nasal plane sub-noseband site). Results of this trial were used to develop an ergonomically designed prototype, version 4, which was tested in a second field trial (n = 12, frontal nasal plane and lateral sub-noseband site). Nosebands were set to three tightness settings in each trial as judged by a single rater using an International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) taper gauge. Normal forces in the range 7–95 N were recorded at the frontal nasal plane while a lower range 1–28 N was found at the lateral site for the taper gauge range used in the trials. The digital tightness gauge was found to be simple to use, reliable, and safe and its use did not agitate the animals in any discernable way. A simple six point tightness scale is suggested to aid regulation implementation and the control of noseband tightness using normal force measurement as the objective tightness discriminant.

An analysis of visible patterns of horse bit wear

ABSTRACT Horse control is regularly achieved through the application of pressure by a bit against tissue surfaces in the horses mouth. The precise method of action of the bit in the mouth is still poorly understood. In an assessment of damage and changes seen on the surfaces of bits used in horse control, 5 independent assessors scored 60 photographic images of 15 bits on the most common signs of wear. Each photographic image of the bit was divided into 4‐5 separate zones so that different areas on the bit surface could be individually scored. The signs of wear scored for were changes in luster (burnishing), bite marks, food deposits, and salivary staining. Using Cronbach &agr; values, interobserver reliability was found to be high (0.94). Kruskal‐Wallis H and Mann‐Whitney U tests identified a higher frequency of bite marks on the central or medial areas of the bits compared with the lateral areas (P < 0.001), whereas burnishing was distributed along the whole length of the bits (P > 0.5). The least amounts of both food deposits and salivary staining were found on the caudal aspect of the bits. The findings may reflect the type, level, and location of pressures exerted by oral surfaces against the bit. In addition, the location of bite marks may help identify how the equine reacts orally to the presence of a bit within the oral cavity. This study will help inform experiments seeking to quantify tissue‐bit interface pressures under routine exercise conditions.