But horses haven't sped up significantly in centuries, and you don't have to be a speed freak to want to deconstruct the equine gait.

As the disease progresses, patients develop the "equine gait," in which patients tend to walk by lifting the foot from the knee and then putting it down.

High-speed cinematography and electronic transducers that can measure the striking power and motion of the legs have finally yielded a true picture of equine gaits in all their variety and complexity.