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RE: [RC] Weight - heidiBruce, there are plenty of riders who ride in Ariats for the very
reasons you state. They make the choice based on comfort, not on
weight.
While riders may not primarily choose their saddles based on whether
or not they can lift them (but yes, some of us do have to factor that
in), they DO make the choice based on fit--both for horse and
self--long before worrying about a few pounds here or there.
No, I'm not dancing around--just trying to point out that there are a
lot of factors involved, and that it is silly to be so obsessed over a
few pounds in an aerobic sport when its effects are nowhere near the
effect in anaerobic situations. And in my experience, most riders
do NOT obsess over a few pounds here or there--comfort and fit are the
keys.
And while nobody is adding weight up to 235, there are FEI riders
riding in that ballpark. I weighed Barry Waitte at Steph's FEI
ride a couple of years ago when I was the steward in charge of the
scale, and he tacked in around 220. But that's my point--there is
no NEED to bunch the weights any more than they do by requiring the 165
lb minimum--at 235, you're only 70 lbs over that, which would be
comparable to a jockey weighing 3.5 lbs more in a race. And good
horses carry much more difference than that and still win races.
If anyone is dancing here, Bruce, you are--there are simply far too
many more variables to worry about than weight, even though we all
realize that it does have some effect.
Heidi (who tacks a few lbs lighter than Barry, but
he's WAAAY fitter and could ride circles around me at this point in my
life--those pesky variables again....)
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