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[RC] Percentage body weight (was: Dainty horses) - k s swigart

From: "Beth Walker" <bwalker2@xxxxxxx>


I found this with a Google Search - it's on Susan Garlinghouses' site

http://shady-acres.com/susan/tevis98.shtml


Thanks for the reference.  SInce it is a study about Tevis, it isn't
about 50 mile rides and additionally it says:

"The RW/BW for animals disqualified for metabolic failure was higher
than those that completed the race. This would appear to support
traditionally held beliefs that horses cannot successfully carry rider
weights in excess of a given percentage of the horse BW, yet this is not
supported by RW or BW results. There was also no effect of RW/BW on
overall placing. Therefore, it would appear that the effect of RW/BW on
metabolic failure is a function of decreasing CS in some animals, rather
than an inability to carry heavier weights relative to BW."

So what this study suggests is not that "dainty" (i.e. lightly built)
horses cannot carry large percentages of their body weight, but rather
that underweight (poor body condition score) horses suffer more
metabolic failures.

It also says that big horses suffer more lameness no matter how much
their rider weighs.

It also states that while it is a widely held belief that too much rider
weight (whether in relation to the weight of the horse or not), that
there have been few studies on weight and its effects on performance at
endurance:

"Despite the attention and emphasis placed upon rider weight, studies
investigating the specific effects of weight and other body measurements
upon endurance performance are extremely limited."

It refers to a couple of other studies that have been done on 100 mile
rides, but makes no mention of anything about studies done on 50 mile
rides.

kat
Orange County, Calif.




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