Re: RC:

[Tivers@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/26/00 8:05:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
rides2far@juno.com writes:

<< Does anybody else remember a study, done in Australia I think, where they
 put a light rider on one horse and a heavyweight on the other.  In the
 beginning the horse with the heavy rider ran higher heart rates, but
 after training with that rider for awhile they evened back up.  They
 found the only way to get an advantage was to train with a heavyweight,
 then have a lightweight ride in competition.  So...adaptation comes into
 play.  I'm sure if one rider is 100 lb. and the other 220 it didn't work
 quite so evenly, but the difference between 150 and 175 might even out
 with training.
 
 Angie >>


Don't remember the paper, but that's very logical--specificity of 
exercise--if you're going to race with weight, you have to train with weight. 
Additionally, after safety concerns are taken care of, if you want to carry 
heavier weight in training and then shift to light weight in the race, then 
you're accomplishing resistance training of a sort--with strength and 
endurance benefits.

ti