Re: Endurance statistics

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

As much as I would die for a data bank of this sort, it probably isn't
as valid as it would seem---the problem is that when you consider
"weight", you can't just consider the weight of the rider---the horse
has to move the weight of the rider, but ALSO his own weight.  Pagan and
Hintz's work demonstrated that the energy expenditure (and please keep
in mind, we're ONLY talking about energy, not mechanics or
live-weight-vs-dead-weight, etc) is the same in a 500-kg horse with NO
rider as it is in a 400-kg horse carrying a 100-kg rider.

So, unfortunately, unless the databank also collected body weights of
the horse by a scientifically valid method (and taking the owner's
say-so is not valid), then unfortunately any conclusions drawn from the
data based on rider weight only is probably also not statistically
valid.

However, if in South Africa it's common practice to take some body
measurements like body length, heart girth and umbilical girth, then
somebody let me know, and I'M THERE!

Thanks for the suggestion, though. :-)

Susan G

arikara appaloosas wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> I have been following the discussion on rider weight.
> Here in South Africa we have a data bank made up of every ride since 1974.
> Included in this data bank is riders weight, horses resting pulse as well
> as pulse and respiration at every VC. Each and every horses age, as well as
> the riders age. Horses that were pulled and why. I believe this is the most
> comprehensive data bank on endurance in the world. As at July 96 there were
> over 20 000 entries.
> I personally dont have immediate access to this data bank but im sure for
> some one wanting to do an in depth study it could be made available.
> To quote a paragraph from Dr Viljoen "figure 2 shows that there is a
> definite negative between the two variables. This implies that generally
> speaking, a horse that carries a lighter weight e.g. 73Kg has a much better
> chance of winning a ride than one carrying a burden of say 120 Kg."
> More food for thought,
> regards,
> Rob & Kathy.
> http://196.7.177.40/aht/