Re: RC: overweight an issue?

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

>Weren't there some studies about how weight affects the horse in an
>aerobic situation vs. anaerobic? As in distance vs. short sprint? As in,
>weight isn't as big of a factor as one might think.


That was mine, and the conclusions were that while weight does make a
difference, condition score was far more important than simply concluding
the lighter rider automatically holds an advantage over a heavier rider.
There are far too many contributions to the entire energetics equation to
say that weight alone is the sole contributing factor.

And yes, that weight is less of a contributing factor at distance/aerobic
levels than sprint/anaerobic.

And notice that the study deals only with energetics, extremely little with
biomechanics, which is a whole 'nother ballgame.  The '98 study dealt with
that to a very small extent.

Thank you, Deanna, you're the first person that has convinced me they had
actually read the study carefully and in its entirety.

Susan G