RC: Re: overweight an issue?

[Deanna German <dgerman@earthlink.net>]

Howard wrote:
>The weight of the rider is a factor in determining best conditioned for
good
>reason.  Why does my daughter's horse easily complete 50's while mine
has
>great difficulty even though both horses train exactly the same.  In
fact, I
>take my horse out more often because I'm obsessed with riding while the
kid
>isn't (yet)  It's cause she weighs 75 pounds and I add on another
hundred to
>that when I mount up.

Hey, Howard,
Maybe your daughter's horse is more suited to the sport than yours. Able
to be in top shape faster and naturally carrying a bigger "gas tank."
Maybe her horse is better conformed. Maybe she's a better rider than
you. What's your horse's body condition score (I admit, I don't know my
horse's nor how to measure that, although I'd like to know) compared to
Rebel's. I'm just throwing out ideas here. A unscientific way to get
more information would be to switch horses every other ride for a few
rides and see what happens. Try to eliminate as many variables as
possible and acknowledge the ones that still exist.

I don't think anyone's debating that rider weight is not a factor. The
debate is that rider weight is not as big of a factor as  "common sense"
would indicate. Stated another way, there is at least one research study
that shows that rider weight is not the only indicator of success
(completions of Tevis in 3 years of the event) or failure (metabolic
fatigue and failure to complete). (Am I correct, Susan?? I don't want to
misrepresent your data and analysis.) There are lots of other variables
to consider. There might be variables out there that give reason for
further study.

A study of top 10 or top 5 horses might yield different findings.

And, Howard, you must remember that BC is not judged on the entire
completing field. I don't know that it would be all that relevant even
if it were because the arguement would be made that a slower finishing
time would stress a horse less. The only way to truly judge BC of a
field of entries is to ask the horses to complete a distance under the
same conditions thus stressing them equally. Impossible to achieve, but
this is what we TRY to do in (non-NATRC) CTR where the horse is judged
and placed based on condition. Heavyweights and middleweights do win
CTRs occasionally, although not usually. So weight does seem to be a
limiting factor, but not the only limiting factor.

The whole thing is still darned fascinating to ponder. From either side
of the pasture fence.

Deanna (infinitely more qualified to debate Howard rather than the
"Titans")