Re: Re:overweight an issue? - Weight vs. lean mass

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

> Well, here's another field study: Given a 150 lb rider/equipment weight
> smaller horses had higher heartrates than larger horses with a rider. This
in
> contrast  to non-ridden treadmill work at similar speeds, where the
smaller
> horses tended to do better. This suggests that, as a percentage of body
> weight of the horse, rider weight can impact stress loads significantly.
The
> smaller the horse and the heavier the rider, the more the negative impact.
>
> ti


That may work on the treadmill, but under real conditions at a 100-mile race
(where it really counts), it doesn't.  We didn't measure individual heart
rates, but if the horses carrying a heavier rider were at a disadvantage in
recoveries (which, following your theory, they should be), then it follows
that out of several hundred horses, a trend should have showed up, putting
the horses with the heavier riders lower in the placings, lower in
completion rate, fewer miles before a pull or *something*.  We didn't see
that, and believe me, I looked.  It might show up in shorter, faster races,
where energetics are a little different, but didn't at Tevis.  The only
effect we saw with weight had to do with effect on lameness, but that's a
biomechanical disadvantage, unrelated to metabolism.

Susan G