The effect of hoof lesion severity on stride characteristics of early lactation Holstein dairy cows measured using locomotion scoring and computerised motion analysis

Kinematic assessment of gait has been widely used in sports and equine science, this method gives objective and accurate information on the movement of the subject. Most locomotion scoring systems incorporate stride length however this is subjective and is difficult to compare observers. Kinematic studies have shown that cows with sole ulcers have a shorter stride length than those showing no hoof lesions (Flower et al, 2005). Telezhenko and Bergsten (2005) found a similar effect with moderately lame cows having a shorter stride length measured objectively from footprints than non lame cows. Increased locomotion score can also affect the tracking distance of the animal (Telezhenko and Bergsten, 2005). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of increasing locomotion score on stride length and tracking distance of Holstein dairy cows in early lactation.