Re: RC: re: Stride Length

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/21/99 10:55:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Tivers writes:

<< A paper just came out in human research saying that a longerstride made 
the athlete more prone to injury (increased vertical acceleration) and more 
quickly fatigued (additional energy cost). I wonder how much of that is true 
with horses. >>

I think there is a certain amount of parallel, but there are some other 
variables.  In my experience, the horses with a long, low, "daisy-cutter" 
stride can have a fairly long stride without being particularly prone to 
injury.  The horses that I see coming up lame are the ones with long "big" 
strides that really catch your eye--the ones you watch trot and say "wow!"  
My thought about them is that there is a lot more concussion, which, of 
course, would go hand in hand with the increase in vertical acceleration.  
(What goes up must come down, and all that.)  And yes, they don't tend to be 
100-mile horses, which would indicate that they also expend too much energy 
just getting 50...

Heidi


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