RC: A picture is worth a thousand words (was: Up Hill or Down)

["Frank Mechelhoff" <fmechelh@c-s-k.de>]

David LeBlanc wrote:

> What changes
> here is that how much of the load ends up on which end of the horse is
> determined by WHERE THE ANIMAL PUTS ITS FEET.
> ...If it puts its rear legs directly under its center of gravity, it
> can do neat dressage tricks, and takes all the load on the rear legs.

yes, THAT's the point. We all have understand that. No need for a
rocket-scientist. So next step, look for a photo of a horse trotting downhill,
find the Center of Gravity, and look where the hooves hit the ground...
The horse in Kat Swigart's article TB Jul/Aug97 looks good ridden, no doubt. The
photos are very interesting in this context -- and DON'T show what they intend to
show: Of all horses in move, the backline is nearly the same as ground, and CG is
placed more near the frontlimbs, than the hindlimbs. In the sketches on p.31 where
the CG is drafted this is even more obvious: 75%front -25% rear-distribution, I
estimate. With a balanced, well-ridden horse...
Nor contains this reasonable article any advices for trotting fast, or long
sections downhill.

Any other attempts to show standing levading lippicaners of the Spanish Riding
School in full-trot-downhill at an endurance ride..?

Sorry, but the ideas about movement of ridden horses expressed by some remind me
fataly to some descriptions about movement of classic masters of riding in the
last century in my bookshelf - sometimes a little bit crude, and proven wrong with
speed photography...

regards,
Frank Mechelhoff (Germany)


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