The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-12-09
Photography In Horsemanship.


Photography i'm HOrsemanship.
The camera has DESTROYED many
agreeable fancies regarding the mo-
tions of ''that noble ANNA, /" the horse.
The charger no longer dashes into the
thickest OF the fray by "a series of
quick and graceful bounds" but igno-
bly, propels its weight over the stifened
fore-legs used like "the spokes of
wheel" The leap of the racing
thoroughbred, by which it was sup
posed to cover distance of twenty
feet, proves to be but momentary in
terval between the time the horse
leaves the ground from stilt-like fore
leg until the weight is received by the
opposite hind leg, in which the animal
is carried through space that is sell
dom much greater than the length of
its riders whip. The "clever hunter"
no longer takes four-foot hedge ain
the stride of its gallop," for we know
now that such spring cannot be taken
from the fore legs, and that, like the
least clever of it's race, it Eust clear
the obstacle by a spring from the hind
quarters. Even in the slower and more
languid movements, although in these
We do not find so many dsappoint-
ments, the most graceful animal has
positions that are lar from graceful;
and after an inspection of the "instan-
taneous" photographs of the horse in
motion, We are disposed to speak more
respectfully of the mode OF locomoton
adopted by the swan on a turnpike
road.
On the other hand, these pictures
have compensations to offer in place of
the illusions they have dispelled. 1t is
| important that we should know how
| the horse moves in the different PAGES,
as such knowledge suggests the way in
which these PAGES may be improved.
1t is important that we should know
| how the horse breaks from one pace to
another, in order that such changes
may be encouraged or repressed. 1t
is also important that we should know
how the horse leaps, what are its mo-
tions in its resistances, how it takes
the lead in the gallop, and, where
there are suspicious of unsafe action,
how it brings its feet to the ground.
All of these things, and more, we can
learn with certainty only from the pho
tographs; and they can be of aid even in
teaching how to sit upon and control
the horse.
Whether Muybridge who conducted
the experiments undertaken upon so
large a scale by Gov. Stanford, or the
German author, Adam. whose work
appeared in 1882, or some unnamed
genius, was the first to photograph the
moving horse we cannot say. ut, by
reason Of the completeness of the APP
paratus employed, the number of
horses that were at his disposal, and
the great variety of pictures that were
published, the work of the first named
is by far the most valuable and salts
| factory. A battery of twentyfour
cameras, with intervals of one foot,
gave Muybridge pictures of the
horse In almost every possible posi-
ton in nearly every pace and
action. The walk, the trot, the canter,
the racing pace, jumping, etc, with
the peculiarities of motion that might
be found among great number of
horses, were faithfully and infinitely
rendered. But it is strange that in
such a collection of pictures there is
not single example of the ordinary
gallop of three beats-the pace that
lies between the canter and racing
speed-or of the changes of lead in the
gallop. Quick-acting shutters are now
so cheap and so easily procured that
photographing the moving horse Is of
everyday occurrence, and the gallop
of three beats is as we'll known as the
walk or the trot 1t was not until
March, 1856, that photographs showing
the changes of lead in the gallop were
secured, when number of pictures
representing the horses in various posi-
tions of the movements were taken in
Germany.
| We have shown some of the uses of
photography in Workmanship, but it
would be difficult to indicate what the
limits of such uses may be in the
future. AS We have suggested, the de-
fective action of horse can be readily
detected in a photograph, and perhaps
the day may como when the dealer will
be required to furnish a picture of the
animal he offers for sale, as he would
now give warranty" The fox-hunter
compelled through age and honorable
wounds to give up his favorite sport
may console himself by gazing upon
the portrait of himself and his horse
as they were caught by the camera in
the act of clearing the park-palings
that pounded the field. To the rider
and to the trainer the photographs of
the horse in motion must prove of
great value, and many things in the art
of horsemanship which heretofore
could have been arrived at only after
long continued tentative experiments
will easily be made clear through the
aid of the photographer. London
Saturday Reuielc.