Re: RC: Re: Re:overweight an issue? - Weight vs. lean mass

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

> No need to scan the paper for me, Wolfgang. Thanks. The remaining
question,
> for this discussion is horse/rider weight ratios. It would seem logical,
> though, drawing from this paper's information, thatif the rider weighs
more
> and the horse ways less, the negative impact would increase.
>
> ti


WE thought it logical, too.  It just didn't work out that way---at least,
not until you factored in condition score as part of the equation.
Undoubtedly, the higher RWR horses burn more fuel, but they still had
*enough*.

My hypothesis is that as long as the horse is in good body condition, they
possess enough onboard fuel to go 100 miles, so who cares what your "mpg"
is.  If the horse is thin, the body is cachexic and has burned up its own
lean muscle mass and glycogen stores---thus, less motor available and a
smaller fuel tank.  The horse runs out of glycogen and into metabolic
trouble, and now "mpg" *has* made a difference.

The whole thing would be truly answered once and for all if I could biopsy
for muscle and liver glycogen before and after a 100-mile ride.  But its
asking enough for blood samples, and I'm not brave (or dumb) enough to
request a rider's permission to punch his horse with a harpoon just before a
ride.

Susan G