In 1878 Eadweard Muybridge proved that galloping horses have a moment of suspension when all four feet are off the ground. Eadweard used high-speed frames to show each stage of a horse’s movement, and these early shots were the start of the film industry we know today.
Eadweard had a somewhat colourful personality. He was acquitted for murdering his wife’s lover, as the court decreeing the act as justifiable homicide.
The former California Governor Leland Stanford actually financed Muybridge’s photographic experiments and paid him $50.000 to do so. This was a fortune and the equivalent of over $1million pounds by today’s standards.
The moment a Horse is off the Ground
Look closely at the middle thoroughbred and you will see that he is off the ground. This middle horse is in the moment of suspension.
Comparing a Horse to a Jackrabbit
Jackrabbits (hares) also have moments of suspension when they are in full flight.
- This Mad March hare is in full flight with no part of his body touching the ground.
