Re: speed

[K S Swigart <katswig@deltanet.com>]

On Mon, 27 Apr 1998, Truman Prevatt wrote:

> >The speed where I'll let my horse break on into a canter would probably
> >be 9 or 10mph.   Get down around 7mph and I'd call it a lope (which we
> >don't do in endurance), over  12 I'd call a hand gallop (which is
> >probably anaerobic).  
> >
> >
> 
> Sounds about right.  Little rolling gallop is about 10 to 12 mph.

Doesn't sound right to me.  My arab (the little 14.1 horse rather than my
TBs) lopes along (his "working canter") at about 13-15 mph.  He can do
this for about 30 miles (assuming the terrain is right) and runs at a
heart rate of about 110 doing it (assuming the terrain is right)--I know
this now.   If I want him to canter slower than this I have to actually
collect him.  I can collect him down to about 4 mph, but that requires
GREAT effort on his part and is not a gait I would choose for endurance
riding.

His "extended canter/hand gallop" is about 25 mph (I know this, because my
hay guy was ponying him behind his truck with his head stuck out of the
window saying, "We're going 25 miles per hour!!!" 

Somewhere between 25 and 30 miles per hour is where he switches into a
"full racing gallop" (i.e. disunited canter, hind leg leading--as oppposed
to the "peanut roller" lope which is a disunited canter, hind leg
trailing.  The peanut roller lope should not be confused with a true
collected canter).

kat
Orange County, Calif.