Unit 3 : Horse Trot
- Briony Davies
- Feb 8
- 8 min read
In this third unit, we explored a quadruped trot. This differs from the previous exercise of a quadrupred walk, not only becasue it's a trot, but becasue it is understanding the specific dynamics and anatomy of a horse. Horses are known for their eleagant and precise trotting motion and to comprehend this will help enhance the depth and realism of my skillset. Additionally, understanding this type of characteristic that some animals have helps to delve deeper into quadruped dynamics and the key principles of this action. As I have not animated a trot before, this will be a new and enriching experience that will allow me to learn about the various movements of animals. The difference between a trot and a walk, is that a trot is faster, energetic and more rhythmic, with a very concise pattern of movement. In order to create it correctly, there are specific movements and timings that define it and differ it from a walk or run. According to the article (Equishop, 2023) a "trot is a two beat gait – this means that two diagonal legs touch the ground at the same time, while the other two legs are suspended". The body and legs move more synchronised together compared to walking, as both sets of legs operate in opposition to each other and the head and lower back rise and fall simultaneously, thus creating a trot. It is also clear to see this in Eadweard Muybridge's 1899 "The Trot, Horse 'Edgington' and Sulky". It's important to learn the different fundamental movements of animals in order to expand my knowledge and to be able to transfer these skills professionally and creatively. It is also interesting to know why horses move in this manner, either in form of play or escaping from danger (Equishop, 2023). Addiotnally, I took a depper dive into the specifcs of how horses' joints and muscles move, especially the legs. Looking at The Mane Quest (2024b), the blog post breaks down and simplifies the muscles and ligaments, stating that the lower leg ligaments work like elastic bands, making the legs pull,spring and bounce upwards. Also the article illustrates the importance of the joints, specifically the lowest joint (fetlock joint) of the leg that takes the impact, force and weight of the horse and all the joints work in unison (Walsh, cited in The Mane Quest, 2024b).
Key poses from my trot animation
The rig was provided for, but I believe it was created by Mothman TD. To began by following the tutorials given and focusing on the thumbnails provided in the tutorials of a simplified version of a trot. This was very helpful as it clearly displayed the core frames to create this motion. The movement of the trot was very short and repetitive as the body had little change of direction and the legs mirrored each other's movements in opposition. The specific movement of the legs meant that only two legs had contact with the floor at the same time and then all four legs would be in the air creating the bounce. The anatomical structure of the horse meant it had a very strong spine and solid body mass, enabling the powerful and energetic dynamics of this animal. This also meant the body had very limited movement in this activity and the flexible joints and strength in the legs carried this motion. Looking at Horse trotting on Youtube, I was able to get a sense of the natural movement of the horse. However the rider and the equipment covered some of the body, but it did help to understand the motion, weight and structure of the horse better.
Here is the first pass of the horse trot. I began by following the thumbnails of a trot and used stepped keys to focus on each keyframe in this cycle. This cycle was 17 frames with 4 key poses. I placed various controls on different animation layers, so i was able to clearly see which body parts had key frames on and isolate them if needed. I did the first pass with just the basic shapes on the legs, body and head and then later will add in details such as the tail. The body had a basic rhythm of up, down, up, down and the head was the opposite, I wanted to really focus on getting the legs in the correct position with this rig and explore the different controls with it. One thing in particular that was challenging was the front legs/hoofs. When placing into position, the angle of the hoofs began to look unnatural or stretched/broken. So this took me longer to develop and examine as I had to experiment with the controls to decide which one was the best in giving the shape I wanted. I ended up using the additional control on the hoof that only rotated in combination with the main leg control. Furthermore, I encountered another challenge with the front legs when they are in the contact pose. The front joint would pop out and bend unnaturally when the leg should be straight, so I explored the different controls again and the best one that worked was the blend shape control for the "hoof roll" and was able to straighten the leg. I recognised these as the main challenges I encountered at this stage, and I wanted to create the trot with precision, so I dedicate more time to the task. As the horse's legs have a lot of joints that create a springy motion, I took time to consider the angles and direction of the joints to help me refine my work.
This video showcases the second pass by using curved tangents and detail in the tail, body and the head. I was able to identify the motion paths between each key frame and smooth or adjust them to create a steady and constant flow of movement. To gain a better understanding of the different parts of the horse, I also examined The Animator’s Survival kit : dialogue, directing, acting and animal action (Williams, 2021, p. 34). Where Williams broke down the difference in movement of the back of the horse and the front. For example, the back horse is like Ostrich legs and the front is like human legs, which helped isolate and understand the mobility of the joints.
Here are some more videos to give an insight to my method and flow of work. This video shows the first pass of the trot and how I approached it. I find that focusing on the solid shapes and keyframes first using stepped tangents is important and helps me then isolate and target specific areas. It's easier to see the flow of movement and any shapes that don't fit. Then once there is a strong base animation, I will go in with curved tangents and add further detail.
This next video shows cleaning up the frames and curves in the animation. Here, I'm trying to create/find a constant flow and rhythmic pattern of keys. Depending on the animation, but in this case as this cycle is constant and repetitive here should be a smooth flow and almost "wave" like pattern. I then kept on going through and refining each frame until I felt it was to the best of my ability.
For the final pass, I added detail and fluidity to the tail as learnt in the previous exercises of overlapping and secondary action, and off-set the keys so that it overlapped the main animation and avoided stiffness. The movement of the tail was quicker and bouncier to keep in rhythm of the trot. I also off-set the neck/head of the horse so the animation flows smoothly without any stiffness. I then began adding in the smaller but effective details such as the leg muscles and slight rotation. As the mass of the body during this action would remain quite solid, I didn't want to add too much rotation, but wanted to include the natural movement of the hips. This helped contribute realism and liveliness the horse. I found the rig very easy to navigate and manegable, with so much detail to different parts of the body.
A takeaway from animating this trot is how it's essential for the industry. I looked at game development and how typical or common horses are in various popular games. They are often used as companions, characters, or background features in games, and even though I don't have extensive knowledge of video games, I'm aware of the advancement of quality and interaction that game developers are pushing in orderrto have a smoth flowing animation. Therefore, referring back to my first point, animating a horse trot (or other motions) realistically is more sought after and desirable by game players, making it more marketable (The Mane Quest, 2024a).
The Final Animation
This is my final animation of a quadruped trot cycle. I wanted to capture the horses' majestic presence and the strength, grace and beauty it displays. I'm really please with the outcome and think this is my strongest animation so far. I have understood the repetitive pattern of motion and the fast, energetic bounce of the trot. I also enjoyed adding in the small details, like the movements of the ears and mouth where I off-set the keys to create subtleties and avoid stiffness, and along with small rotations in hips, to enhance the natural dynamics of this animal. I also added in movements in different muscles such as the thighs and shoulders, to show that natural element and movement of weight. I found the some areas of the rig a challenge, eventhough, as mentioned previously, the rig itself is very thorough and has lots of options for a range of body parts to control that I appreciated, some areas like the main leg/hoof controls didn’t allow for accurate positioning, often resulting in unnatural bending or breaking of the joints. Therefore, the most time-consuming part was exploring the different controls and blend-shapes to identify which ones would provide the best outcome and positioning. The neck controls were also a challenge as I wanted to add some movement to help with the realism but not too much that takes away from the solid mass of the body, so it was finding that balance with the multiple controls and remembering which control had frames on.
To improve, I would explore more of the detail and push the muscular dynamics further. I would like to consider more unpredicted movements such as different speeds and direction. As this is a cycle it only has a certain number of frames with a repetitive pattern, which in essance has been beneifitcal in learning this trot. However, looking at horses trotting in real-life or in films, they don't just move in this static way, and other elements can impact their motion like their environment. It would be intresting to explore this and capture it. I would also add more detail to the head such as the eyes and nose of the horse as I think without it, it's noticeable that the head is very still. I believe I have learnt a lot from this cycle and has built a confident way to create a solid animation for this animal.
Reflections and Refinements
As I reflect on my work, I decided to make some changes to improve my animation. As I mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to add more detail to the eyes and nose to make this animal look more lifelike. I then analysed the rest of the animation, taking time to review each frame with fresh eyes and decide if any other improvements are needed. The cycle is quick, and with my current skills and experience, it looked as close to the tutorial as possible, which I was pleased with. I would have liked to add some other motion to this cycle, but I didn't have time to spend adding this addition, yet I still wanted to create some individuality and a simple story arc. I incorporated a scene I downloaded from CGTrader by a creator with the name Onkardesai that I was inspired by. The scene was peaceful and elegant, which was perfect for a horse to gracefully trot through, disappearing into the field as the sun sets. I wanted to add some mystery too, making the audience wonder where the horse was going. Was it hiding from something? Or maybe it's just passing through this land that somebody owns, or maybe it is owned? Either way, it goes further than just watching a trot cycle. The scene already had lighting, so all I had to do was add in the camera that I manouvered so that the breakdown sequence and the final render transitioned into one another.
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