RE: Re: Re: physiology of weight/Absolutes? Nah.

[Mike Sofen <msofen@pacbell.net>]

It's not at all a stupid question.  When I was first beginning to race
bicycles (many years ago), I had a very heavy steel framed bike.  I would
train with my brother and our friend, both of whom had already bought
lightweight racing bikes.  We would train on climbing the mountain passes
near our home, and I would keep up with them but it was a struggle.

When I got my first racing bike, I totally left them in the dust - it was
like riding with twice the horsepower (so to speak), I felt weightless going
over those passes.  However, over the course of the next few weeks, my
superior climbing ability became neutralized as my body acclimated to the
new weight I was pushing around.  This affect has to also be in affect with
horses - I totally believe they acclimate to the weight they are being asked
to carry.

Mike Sofen

-----Original Message-----
From: MtnRondi@aol.com [mailto:MtnRondi@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 9:37 AM
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Re: Re: physiology of weight/Absolutes? Nah.


I've been reading all the posts regarding HW vs LWT, etc. Have I missed it,
or has anyone discussed the fact that the horse becomes conditioned carrying
the weight it carries. I mean, if I jogged carrying 5 lb. weights I would
probably get tired but slowly condition myself to carrying that weight with
no thought. It would be as if I were not carrying any extra weight. So can
it
ever happen that a horse conditioned by a HW would perform like it didn't
know it was carrying a HW? I'm a FW. If my husband conditioned my horse (he
would be a HW) and then I rode the horse in competitions, would the horse
perform better because he was carrying less weight than he was used to
carrying?

Excuse me if this is a stupid question... but I keep wondering if the HW
team
is really as disadvantaged as one would think.

Bonnie
So. Calif.


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