Re: Up Hill or Down

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/10/00 10:18:21 PM Pacific Standard Time, Tivers writes:

<<  Going downhill at speed increases the likelihood of foreleg injury, for 
the several reasons I've already stated. It also increases the likelihood of 
hind leg injury, for the reasons I previously stated. Thus, the morons who 
take it easy going down hills are not morons at all.  >>

The discussion here is about weight on the forelimbs, and increasing forelimb 
injury.  I've not seen that to be the case in practice.  The fact that it is 
virtually exclusively the hindlimbs that are injured going downhill at speed 
further illustrates my point that it is the hind legs, not the forelegs, that 
take the punishment.  Going anywhere at speed increases the chance of 
injury--you can stay quite safe at home in your armchair.  But if you want to 
win at this sport, you need to train to make time wherever you can, and I can 
guarantee you that if you don't train to utilize downhills, you WILL be 
beaten--unless you stick to flat tracks.  As to morons--I hope that everyone 
makes note of the fact that you are the ONLY one in this discussion to call 
ANY rider a moron.  Not all riders ride to win, and those who take care of 
their horses by going slow in terrain for which the horse does not have the 
aptitude and/or the training and conditioning continue to earn MY utmost 
respect.  By the same token, I am not going to insult the intelligence of 
those who DO train and condition to win by suggesting that this very 
important aspect of their training and conditioning is unsafe or a denial of 
the laws of physics.  I'll send you your photo, Tom, but if you really want 
to learn how it's done, come out and play.  You really can't appreciate this 
in a still photo.

Heidi


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