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I am coming WAY late into this discussion, but what Susan's study found was 
that there was no correlation between the horse/rider weight ratio and 
completion at the weight ratios that they had to work with in the study (which 
went as high as having the rider/tack weight being as much as 31% of the horse 
weight).

Susan found two factors that correlated with noncompletion.  One was body 
score--horses with low body scores had a higher chance of being pulled for 
metabolic factors.  The second was COMBINED horse/rider weight--if the COMBINED 
total (NOT the ratio!) exceeded 1200 lbs, then the horse had a higher chance of 
being pulled for biomechanical reasons.

In other words (working with the second reason) a HWT rider really needs to 
look for a well-conformed and sturdy horse capable of carrying weight but whose 
own weight does not cause the "team" together to weigh more than 1200 lbs.  A 
rider tacking in at 250 lbs. should be looking for horses that weigh at most 
around 950 lbs.  The huge horses are more apt to have problems unless they have 
lighter riders.

Heidi


> hmmm ... posted before I read it.  This one says -- I think -- that  
> the ratio of rider weight to horse body weight is more of a function  
> of decreasing condition score.  In a really quick read, I think it is  
> saying that condition score is more important than the rider weight/ 
> horse weight ration, but I don't think it discounts it completely.
>
> It is on Susan Garlinghouse' site:
>
> http://shady-acres.com/susan/tevis98.shtml
>
>
>
> On May 8, 2007, at 7:53 AM, k s swigart wrote:
>
> > Heide Helly said:
> >
> > > Realize that horses carrying more than about
> > > 23% of their body weight don't finish a 50,
> > > according to one study.
> > Can anybody refer me to this study.  It does not agree with my own
> > experiences.
> >
> > kat
> > Orange County, Calif.
> >
> >
> >
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