They call me ... DOCTOR Bliss! And I really don't know why, since I'm almost as far as you can get from a doctorate. Anyway, for the final year of my BSc honours degree (Equine Sports Performance at the University of Brighton), I'm doing a project that involves putting fluorescent stickers all over baby horses and filming them. See exhibits 1 and 2 below!
Here I am with one of the foals immediately after filming.
Here is my employer with another foal, on the way to the sand school. Um ... my apologies for the strategically placed manure pile, it was the first foal's fault!
In this project, I will be analysing several aspects of the gaits of foals aged 5-7 months, and comparing them to their sires. I will have the support and assistance of my instructors and tutors at Plumpton College, and my employer at Hobgoblins Stud, in addition to several local horse owners who have kindly agreed to allow me to film their youngstock. I have completed 1/6 of the filming thus far (but who's counting?) and hope to have the rest completed by the end of December. Wish me luck!
Labels: biomechanics, gait analysis, horses, research
