Can you put these in order?
Which came first and then next and so on? How do the legs move in sequence? Draw a diagram to show the pattern of how the feet are placed on the ground. What view of the horse and rider is shown in each picture and where was the camera?

These are photos taken by .. Muybridge.Muybridge wanted to find out without a doubt the answer to this question: "Do horses ever take all their feet off the ground at any time when they are running, or is one foot always touching the ground?" In one investigation at Stanford University he lined up more than 40 cameras along a track, each with a string stretched across the track. When the horse went by each camera was tripped in sequence and took a side view of the horse at that moment. He put all the pictures together in a series to get the answer. What do you think he discovered?

Muybridge used the same technique to photograph humans and other animals in motion and became famous for his use of the camera to study mobility.

Perfect Balance
Look carefully at this small statue, which is about 15 cm high and a little longer than your hand. Do you see how it is attached to the base by the right rear hoof?

How can this one hoof hold up the whole horse? Where is the center of balance (center of gravity) of the statue? Show it in a drawing of this side view. Draw to show the positions of the hooves from a front view or rear view.

Which gait?

This horse is

a. galloping
b. pacing
c. trotting
d. walking
e. doing something else

Explain how your know.