Re: physiology of weight

["Lynette" <helgeson@ndak.net>]

Here is an good example of the problem with the weight issue: Two riders, my
husband and his friend. My husband is riding a 14.3 hh Arab, who is in good
shape and level headed. My husband is tall but is slender and is riding in
an light aussie saddle. He weights in as middle weight. His friend is quite
a bit heavier then my husband, he rides an BIG Draft/QH cross. He rides in a
very heavy western roping saddle. Definitely Heavy Weight.  His horse is
hyper and likes to run. They start out on a 25 LD ride together. My husband
is riding at a nice pace, friend is fighting his horse to hold him back,
gives up and lets the horse run full out to catch any horses in front of
him. Husband's level headed Arab stays calm and keeps up his nice trot. My
husband arrives at first vet check behind his friend, but is out of the vet
check first, because his horse came in pulsed down, friend's horse took 10
minutes. So friend runs his horse to catch my husband on the next loop. They
come into the finish line together, friend's horse is tired and did not get
ahead of the Arab on this loop. My husband's Arab pulse comes right down and
he gets second place. Friend's horse takes quite awhile to pulse down and he
gets either 5 or 6th place, I can't remember. It is a two day ride, friend
and friend's horse too tired to ride the second day. Husband's Arab  is
ready to go again the next day and does. He gets 1st and BC. Guess which
horse got BC the first day??  Guess which horse got judged as doing the ride
in  Best Condition and the best horse to continue on???? Right, the Draft/QH
cross. Did this horse do the 25 LD in Best Condition? Not a chance! But he
got it anyways, because he carried a heavy rider with a heavy saddle. Even
my husband's friend thought it was a joke that his horse got BC. He know
that my husband's Arab was in much better shape, and came through the ride
in better shape then his Drafty horse. It seems to me that the BC award does
not measure which horse did the ride in best condition, it just measures
which horse carried the most weight. And maybe the reason that people
continue to argue about this is because it just does not sit right with
them.

Best Regards,
Lynette Helgeson
North Dakota
helgeson@ndak.net