Writtle University College's Dr. Roberta Ferro de Godoy has travelled to Brazil to spend two weeks sharing knowledge and research on horse biomechanics.
She has been funded by a Newton Fund/CONFAP (The UK Academies Research Mobility Award) and will be working with the Federal University of Pelotas.
The Senior Lecturer in Equine Science and Veterinary Physiotherapy is collaborating on PhD research studying the biomechanics of the Criollo horse.
This breed has over 400,000 registered animals in South American countries, France and the United States and is responsible over 200,000 jobs in Brazil.
Dr Ferro de Godoy said: "The aim of this research to characterise stride kinematics and kinetics parameters in gaits used by Criollo horses and also in specific movements performed by the breed in competitions (rundown, sliding stop and spin/pirouette).
"We are also collecting pressures under the traditional saddles used in these horses, to understand if these saddles are a best practice and if they are meeting animal welfare concerns in terms of pressure applied on horses' backs."
For more information on Writtle University College's equine courses, go to writtle.ac.uk/equine.