My Research
Content
Why is the rate of dog-related incidents on horses going up?
How many dog-related incidents happen and how often? Fatalities on humans or horses?
What laws are there to protect horses or riders?
When a horse is injured, how much does treatment cost?
What purpose did dogs have in human history?
What purpose did horses have in human history?
How are both animals useful in society today?
Primary Research
Google Forms Survey
I sent this short questionnaire to 100 horse riders for my primary research. I believe the results may be shocking to most of my audience. From personal experience, I was rarely unable to go out riding without a dog incident. Most of the time the owner of the dog(s) was apologetic or shocked at their dog(s) behaviour.
I know a lot of people who own horses and also own a dog(s). The dogs that belong to horse owners have usually been around horses since they were puppies as they are easier to train. Although incidents can happen with these dogs, the rate of incidents gets higher when dogs who haven't seen horses before get put in a situation with them.
If I could rerun this survey, I believe I could ask a few more questions. For instance, I would ask how often would this happen? This question could be beneficial to find out how frequent dog-related incidents happen. The BHS (British Horse Society) offers a lot of information and data like that to the public but it would've been interesting to know what data my own questionnaire collected.
The results from this survey were expected but still upsetting. I'm pleased that my contacts were all happy to contribute to my college project.
These results support my personal belief and I will be using them in my documentary.
Secondary Research
Dog Incident Statistics
I emailed the BHS (British Horse Society) about any records they may have on dog-related incidents in the UK. I was finding it hard to find any recent or up to date surveys or data on this topic.
This information helped me answer one of my content questions. How many dog-related incidents happen and how often? Fatalities on humans or horses? I believe that these numbers will shock my audience.
Horse riding incidents & accidents
This website (Linked below) offers an interactive map where you can see where dog-related incidents have happened and when. This image will likely be used in my film. However, this image will only show reported incidents and it's been said that only a small fraction of dog-related incidents get reported.
Quantitative Research
The data on this website inspired me to contact the BHS directly and get their most up to date statistics.
'Since 2010 we have had 1,716 dog related incidents reported to us which regrettably includes 25 horse fatalities, 3 human fatalities, 575 horses injured alongside 526 humans injured, with an increase of incidents being reported over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, we believe these numbers maybe significantly higher as only 1 in 10 incidents are reported to us. In recent years, the BHS has become aware of a great increase in dog related incidents involving horses - not just on loose horses in fields, but also on those being ridden or driven.'
How many dog owners are there?
- 51% of UK adults own a pet
- 26% of UK adults have a dog with an estimated population of 9.6 million pet dogs
Qualitative Research
The article linked below answers one of my content questions. When a horse is injured, how much does treatment cost? The story goes on to mention her personal experience of a vicious dog attack that led to the death of her horse.
"I put a post up on Facebook and have been overwhelmed by how much it has been shared. We have been left with vet costs of more than £1,000 and I just want him to do the right thing, but I know it won't bring Frank back."
The young girl in this article is a victim of a dog attack. I found it interesting how she calls out dog owners for their dogs' lack of recall. This makes me want to ask if it's just the owner's fault for not training the dogs.
"I had no idea my post would get the response it did, it's been shared more than 1,000 times and I've had a lot of supportive messages. The main reason I want to find the owner is it is clearly a very unhappy dog, and had that been a child you don't want to think about what might have happened. I'm a real dog lover and had dogs in the past but people need to have better recall and be aware that these animals are bred to chase things - and they do," she said.
Links in my bibliography, under the section My Project Research.
In this section of my research page, I have found three examples of contrasting videos to my chosen topic. For my project, I have decided to produce a video explaining How to set up your camera and tripod. The three videos I have selected all vary in quality going from bad to excellent examples.
How to make a horse a friend. One cowboy's partnership with horses
This video is a short documentary about Jimmy Anderson and a wild horse called Shiver. The presenter/narrator has visited Jimmy's training facility for a week, where he intends to document Shivers' training. Jimmy believes that he will be riding Shiver by the end of the presenter's stay. This short documentary aims to educate everyone about a kinder method to train a feral horse.
The documentary would be classed as an expository documentary. The narrator presents a specific viewpoint or argument about the subject, describing the relationship between the images on screen and providing verbal commentary. Archive footage and B-Roll are commonly used in this film. The whole video runs for just under 10 minutes.
A voiceover at the beginning of the video introduces the character and the location. The main character of this short documentary is called Jimmy Anderson, and the narrator describes him as a legendary cowboy. Behind the voice narration, several stock videos have been used to display the location. In addition, cutaways of Jimmy and his horse working at liberty together are shown to support the narrator's statements. The narration has most likely been filmed in a sound studio to get a high-quality recording, whilst using high-quality equipment.
In the video clips where Jimmy explains his methods, he must be wearing a mic. As a result, we can hear his voice and some ambient sounds. I do not believe the editor has added any sound effects or made any sound alterations to this documentary. It would not be necessary for this type of film.
The film uses several different scores. In addition, the editor selected specific tracks to support the emotions and actions happening on screen.
The cutaway videos have been filmed using a vast range of camera angles and movements. Horses are huge animals and are constantly moving at a fast pace. The camera operator has done a great job of using close up shots to get some cinematic shots. In addition, slow motion shots increase the quality and the professionalism of the whole film.
The interview clips are far and few between. They are in the film for around 5 seconds before another cutaway happens. After that, the audio continues, allowing relevant video to be displayed. They filmed the interview in a dark space and used artificial lighting to light the man's face. Unfortunately, they have only used one light as you can see some unflattering shadows on the character's face and clothing. The colouring is natural. I don't believe the editors used any filters. The camera operator has used two cameras and made use of the medium close up and medium shot for the interview.
I love this short documentary. It uses some of the techniques I want to feature in my own film. I like how it is under 10 minutes long yet has good pacing for the story. This documentary has given me good ideas for my interview techniques and how to utilise cutaways to get a professional look.
How Dogs (Eventually) Became Our Best Friends
This documentary is about the history of dogs and wolves and how they became domesticated. The story begins by explaining about an 18,000-year-old puppy that was found after some ice melted to reveal his preserved remains. The unknown puppy was named Dogor. I could class this short documentary as a participatory documentary as the filmmaker/presenter is featured in the documentary.
The presenter is seen standing in front of a green screen where graphics, animations and creative backdrops are used to provide visuals for the audience. This short documentary uses a lot of graphics and animations. Usually, this would make it enjoyable for a younger audience to watch however some of the imagery used is graphic and not appropriate for young children to see.
There is a lot of stock imagery and illustrations used in this documentary. It is evident from the transparent watermark displayed on the images. In addition, the film shows videos of domesticated dogs as an example of archive footage.
The clips of the presenter are shown on the film for 5-10 seconds before cutaway clips are used. While only one camera is being used, the editor has occasionally scaled in or out to change it up where appropriate. The quality of the video is very high. The presenter is wearing dark casual clothing with her hair braided to one side. I like this as it is not too professional like on the news, it's a fun, relaxed topic, so there is no need for too much formality. The lady is professional and uses no slang or jargon. She elaborates and defines any acronyms she uses.
The presenter's voiceover must've been filmed in a professional studio as her audio is crystal clear. There is barely any reverb, which means she took steps to create a decent recording space. Additionally, the mic she is using enhances her voice.
The music is a repetitive melody without any singing. The song is pretty easygoing and lighthearted. A variety of sound effects are featured in this short. As an example, the editor added growling wolves or dogs when an illustration of wild wolves appeared on the screen.
I enjoyed this short documentary as the graphics really captivated my attention. In addition, I can take away several techniques I can apply to my own from this film. For example, they only used one camera, and I believe that I will only have access to one camera for my interviews. The editor scaled in the camera to change it up for each clip. This gives the illusion you are using more than one camera angle.
He Was The Smartest Horse That Ever Lived. Here Is His Story
This video is about Bill Key and supposedly the most intelligent horse that ever lived. David Hoffman, director and a documentary filmmaker, narrated the fantastic story of the horse Jim Key. This video runs for around 15 minutes.
A formerly enslaved person turned entrepreneur. Bill Key was raised in Tennessee by John Key, who also had two sons. John Key treated Bill key like his own son, and when he discovered the boy's talent with horses, John supported that role. After Bill Key fought and returned from the civil war with lots of money, he built a racetrack, a horse hospital, a hotel and a blacksmith. Bill Key goes to an auction and buys a mare for $40. He breeds that mare and gets an odd-looking foal. The man trains the horse for 3-4 years and realises the horse is very intelligent. The story goes on to say how the horse used chalk and a blackboard to write and draw. The duo travel across America and perform for audiences and such.
The video's purpose is to tell a story. David Hoffman explains how he, Morgan Freeman and several other people came across this story and wished to make it into a film. The style of the presenter is very casual and relaxed. It reminded me a bit of a storytime video or an audiobook.
The whole video is just one camera angle throughout, with the exception of archive illustrations and photos edited in. However, the camera quality is excellent, and it's nicely put together. The backdrop isn't anything fancy. It looks like he recorded the video in his home due to the artwork behind him.
The audio quality is outstanding. You can see from the video that the presenter is wearing a lav mic close to his mouth. I can assume he used this technique to avoid any unwanted background/ambient noise. There are no sound effects or music used in this video.
Overall, I really enjoyed this video. Although it wasn't the most professional film, it served its purpose and told the story of the most intelligent horses in the world. I believe that David Hoffman could've created this to gain whether or not there would be interest in such a tale.