Topographic Modeling of Equestrian Surfaces: An Innovative Perspective with Photogrammetric Aerial Survey

Abstract

The topographic assessment of equestrian surfaces is essential for controlling the surface mechanical behavior and its biomechanical effects on horses. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) emerges as a precise alternative to conventional topographic methods. This study aimed to apply the photogrammetric aerial survey method for the topographic modeling of equestrian surfaces. Thus, a survey was conducted using UAVs on five equestrian surfaces (I, II, III, IV, and V) with mechanical behavior measured through hardness, moisture, grip, depth, maximum drilling depth (MDP), and composition. The data were analyzed for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test, homogeneity of variance using the F-test for two samples and Bartlett's test, with means compared by the Tukey test and paired T-test (P < 0.05). To quantify the effect of topography on the surface, Principal Component Analysis was used. The results demonstrate that there are differences (P < 0.05) in slope and morphology in the longitudinal and transverse measurement directions among the equestrian surfaces, as well as between the measurement directions. The observed differences result from construction processes, geographical characteristics, and soil composition. However, surface I exhibits functional slope and morphology indices for a non-constructed environment, while surface V demonstrates effective slope parameters for surfaces with a constructed base. Topography accounted for 17.86% of the total variation found. For future studies, it is recommended to investigate the effects of animal load, focusing on thehorse-hoof-surface interaction using the photogrammetric aerial survey method</p