Quick Dips

Computerising the Horse

Scratching Olympic Games mounts and Melbourne Cup contenders for lameness will no longer be the result of assessment by eye, if a Massey University postgraduate student is successful in his research.

Chris Rogers is halfway through a three-year PhD studying horses' movement, developing a computer model incorporating all aspects of horse movement -- side, front and back views of the entire horse.

"The aim is to quantify what has been a qualitative task in the past. Essentially, anybody should be able to assess the soundness of a horse using a series of measurements and a computer model."

The underlying plan is to use computer simulation to describe how horses move in relation to the rest of their body. Last year's national three-day event in Taupo provided a suitable sample of horses for the study. About 60 mounts were recorded on video during their veterinary check, both walking and trotting.

Horses of different breeds move differently and the Massey study is concentrating on the thoroughbred -- the backbone of galloping and eventing in New Zealand. Other countries have undertaken similar projects, but analysed horses on treadmills to gather their information. The results have since been questioned because of differences in horses' gaits on treadmills compared to solid earth.

Rogers expects the software to be ready within the next four years, but this is dependent on somebody continuing the research.