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Re: [RC] Weight Division Offshoot (long) - Jon . Lindermanall a phd means is that I just couldn't find the exit lane as fast as the smart people to get the heck out of college and get a real job. I usually cut my signature down to just "jon". I crudely say that everyone pees and poops the same regardless of title! (PHD:Piled Higher and Deeper!) I am not sure of the energy expenditure equations for equines you used, maybe you could forward that to me, and quadraped locomotion equations differ from the ones I use commonly for bipeds, but on a flat usually estimated energy equations work well. so lets take the 1200 pound example. the energy expenditure went up going faster by 160,000 kcals, but only a fraction, maybe 30% of that was used for mechanical energy or movement of the animal, the remainder was given off/stored as heat. so independent of the fact that increasing speed will increase risk of injury from increasing force of impact, IMHO, the key is what that increased speed does to heat production setting up issues with metabolic problems. in fact we use a system called indirect calorimetry to measure those kcals in humans, rats, dogs, horses, even crabs. that calorie you know is a measure of heat, so that increase in speed increases heat storage and sets off a chain or reactions in systems to maintain normal thermal balancce. Also from increasing weight of the package to 1450 pounds the numbers you provided indicate you increased energy expenditure 160,000 cals. Again probably at least 70% of that is heat. Thats why it IS harder on a horse to carry weight & the more you carry the harder it is. Now will you go 12 minutes faster losing 50 pounds? In theory over the same exact course, same exact environmental conditions, ridden exactly the same manner, you could go 12 minutes faster using the same energy weighing 200 pounds as compared to 250 pounds. But of course going faster would mean increased risk of concussion, soft tissue injury etc. On the other hand going the same speed weighing 50 pounds less would decrease energy expenditure, heat storage, etc. The caveats are that everything is the same:same horse, course, environment. For me the challenge,the success, the winning is completing. I do not have a super horse, but he completes and I am happy with that. But I do know its more challenging for him to carry me, than say my wife who is at least 60 if not 75 pounds lighter. Its not magic, yes there are a whole host of factors, but a HUGE one is mass & it can't simply be negated into thin air by riding better. just "Jon"
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