So one must consider both the weight of the rider and the weight of the
horse. That is why larger riders need larger horses. I had an interesting
experience on my second 100. We were climbing a long steep hill. At a
walk the heart rate was on the order of 130 to 140. I hopped off and
walked and Misty's heart rate fell to about 70. That is a big difference
in the amount of work being done.
While balanced, centered weight may seem easier to carry for the horse and
to some extent it is, gravity doesn't really care if weight is balanced or
not - it still exerts a downward force proportional to the mass - that is
150 pounds is still 150 pounds.
The other issue, besides the amout of work required to pack us lard butts,
is the saddle. You don't hear many feather weight riders worrying about
saddles. The saddle fit problems become more critical with the increase in
weight of the rider.
Truman
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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
and Danson "The Demon in Training" Flame
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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