Elin Hernlund

The aim of my research is to better the understanding of movement and behavioral changes in horses due to orthopedic pain, including changes in facial expression and body posture. In addition, I investigate risk factors for lameness, such as the influence of the rider as well as training surface.

I teach veterinary students, veterinary technician students as well as students of animal science. For the veterinary students I offer clinical education in orthopedics and movement analysis during their last year as students and supervise veterinary master thesis projects during their final semester.

• Hindlimb lameness –why is it so hard to see and how can we improve detection? 2018-2020. Principal investigator: Elin Hernlund, SLU.
• Biomechanical profile of top-level dressage riders. 2018-2020. Principal investigator: Maria Terese Engell, SLU and NMBU. 
• Objective gait and lameness detection in Icelandic horses. 2018-2020. Principal investigator: Filipe Serra Bragaca, Utrech University.
• No hoof no horse? –A study on hoof quality, performance and health in standardbred trotters. 2018-2020. Principal investigators: Lena Holm and Anna Jansson, SLU.
• Reintension from the horse’s perspective. Principal investigator: Marie Eisersiö, Agneta Egenvall SLU 2017-2021
• Does it hurt? -Identification of orthopaedic pain in large animals. 2017-2019. Principal investigators: Katrina Ask, Pia Haubro Andersen and Marie Rhodin, SLU.
• Lameness or laterality: when does asymmetry matter? 2017-2019. Principal investigators: Marie Rhodin and Marie Hammarberg, SLU.
• As time goes by: movement symmetry in horses from rookie to athlete. 2017-2019. Principal investigators: Emma-Persson Sjödin, SLU, Anne Selvén Kallerud, NMBU and Marie Hammarberg, SLU.
• Safe floors for cattle to prevent injuries. 2018. Principal investigator: Evgenij Telezhenko, SLU.

In my research, I collaborate with researchers from Utrecht University in Holland, NMBU in Norway, Royal Veterinary College in England, Zürich University in Switzerland, Lüsche equine clinic in Germany and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

I also collaborate on a regular basis with The Swedish Equestrian Federation regarding issues relating to surfaces and orthopedic health and give lectures to the various riding groups in ATG and the national dressage team of Norway.

Since 2008, I have worked at SLU both as a researcher and as a clinician at the Equine Clinic of the University Hospital. In 2016, I defended my dissertation on training and competing surfaces in showjumping. Today, I work as a post-doc researcher at the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry. I have also had a part-time post-doc at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

I am assistant supervisor to the following doctoral students: Katrina Ask, SLU, Marie Eisersiö, SLU, Anne Selvén Kallerud NMBU and Marie Hammarberg, SLU.

Original publications

1.     A. Egenvall, L. Roepstorff, M. Rhodin, F. Serra Bragança, M. T. Engell, E. Hernlund, E. Persson-Sjödin, R. van Weeren, M. A. Weishaupt, A. Byström (2018). Biomechanical Findings in Horses Showing Asymmetrical Vertical Excursions of the Withers at Walk. PONE-D-18-11076R1

2.     Maria Terese Engell, Hernlund Elin, Egenvall Agneta, Bergh Anna, Clayton Hilary M, Roepstorff Lars (2018). Head, trunk and pelvic kinematics in the frontal plane in un-mounted horseback riders rocking a balance chair from side-to-side. Comparative Exercise Physiology.

3.      M. Rhodin, A. Byström, L. Roepstorff, E. Hernlund, P.R. Van Weeren, M.A. Weishaupt and A. Egenvall (2018). Effect of different head and neck positions on kinematics of elite dressage horses ridden at walk on treadmill.

4.     Rhodin, M., Persson-Sjodin, E., Egenvall, A., Serra Bragança, F. M., Pfau, T., Roepstorff, L., Weishaupt, M. A., Thomsen, M. H., van Weeren, P. R. & Hernlund, E. (2018). Vertical movement symmetry of the withers in horses with induced forelimb and hindlimb lameness at trot. Equine Veterinary Journal, 0, pp. 0–3, doi:10.1111/evj.12844.

5.     Rhodin, M., Byström, A., Roepstorff, L., Hernlund, E., Van Weeren, P R Weishaupt, M. A. & Egenvall, A. (2018). Effect of different head and neck positions on kinematics of elite dressage horses ridden at walk on treadmill Abstract. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 14(2), pp. 69–78, doi:10.3920/CEP180002.

6.     Persson-sjodin, E., Hernlund, E., Pfau, T., Andersen, P. H. & Rhodin, M. (2018). Influence of seating styles on head and pelvic vertical movement symmetry in horses ridden at trot. PloS one, 13(4), pp. 1–15.

7.     Hernlund, E., Egenvall, A., Hobbs, S.J., Peterson, M.L., Northrop, A.J., Bergh, A., Martin, J.H., Roepstorff, L. (2017). Comparing subjective and objective evaluation of show jumping competition and warm-up arena surfaces. Vet. J. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.09.001

8.     Serra Bragança, F.M., Rhodin, M., Wiestner, T., Hernlund, E., Pfau, T., Weeren, P.R. van and Weishaupt, M.A. (2017) Quantification of the effect of instrumentation error in objective gait assessment in the horse on hindlimb symmetry parameters. Equine Vet. J. .

9.     Tranquille C. A., Walker V. A., Hernlund E, Egenvall Aa, Roepstorff L, Peterson M. L., Murray R. C. (2015). Effect of superficial harrowing on surface properties of sand with rubber and waxed-sand with fibre riding arena surfaces: a preliminary study. . Veterinary Journal, 203 (1), pp.59-64

10.   MT. Engell, Hernlund E, Egenvall Agneta, Bergh Anna, Clayton Hilary M, Roepstorff Lars (2015). Does foot pronation in unmounted horseback riders affect pelvic movement during walking?.Comparative Exercise Physiology, 11 (4), pp.231-237.

11.   Lönnell C, Bröjer J, Nostell K, Hernlund E, Roepstorff L, Tranquille C, Murray R, Oomen A, van Weeren R P., Egenvall A (2014). Variation in training regimens in professional showjumping yards. . Equine Veterinary Journal, 46 (2), pp.233-238.

12.   Hernlund E, Egenvall A, Peterson M L., Mahaffey C. A., Roepstorff L (2013). Hoof accelerations at hoof-surface impact for stride types and functional limb types relevant to show jumping horses. Veterinary Journal, 198 (Suppl. 1), pp.E27-E32.

13.   Egenvall A, Tranquille C, Lönnell C, Bitschnau Ce, Oomen A, Hernlund E, Montavon S, Andersson Franko M, Murray R, Weishaupt M, van Weeren R. P., Roepstorff L (2013). Days-lost to training and competition in relation to workload in 263 elite show-jumping horses in four European countries. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 112 (3-4), pp.387-400.

14.   Verwilghen Denis, Hernlund Elin, Ekman Stina, Pringle John, Johnston Christopher, van Galen Gaby (2013). A giant nonstrangulating mesenteric lipoma as a cause of recurrent colic in a horse. Equine Veterinary Education, 25 (9), pp.451-455

15.   Hernlund Elin, Egenvall Agneta, Roepstorff Lars (2010). Kinematic characteristics of hoof landing in jumping horses at elite level. Equine Veterinary Journal, 42 (suppl 38), pp.462-467.

Book in English: 

Hernlund Elin, Lönnell Cecilia, Roepstorff Lars, Lundholm Marcus, Bergström Lars, Andersson Ann-Margrethe, Carlsson Björn, Fogelberg Fredrik, Krügel Fia, Söderberg Markku, Hoberg Oliver, Egenvall Agneta (2014). Equestrian surfaces – a guide. . Svenska Ridsportförbundet. Epsilon:http://pub.epsilon.slu.se/id/eprint/12229