Re: [RC] The Physics of Weight - Joe LongOn Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:37:05 -0400, Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: ... And as amazing as the horse is in it's biomechanics he still has to answer to Mother Nature. Double the mass he has to carry - he has to to twice as much work and expend twice as much energy. Mother Nature makes an exception for no one - no matter how good their equitation. Truman! I'm surprised at you for making such a newbie mistake. Even if we assumed the horse was lifting himself and his rider straight up, that statement's wrong. Let's use a 1000 pound horse carrying either 100 pounds or 200 pounds for an example: A: 1000 pounds of horse plus 100 pounds carried = 1100 pounds. B: 1000 pounds of horse plus 200 pounds carried = 1200 pounds. So, even a very "worst-case" calculation that ignored all of the actual physiology involved in going down a trail instead of lifting the mass straight up, B requries only 9% more energy than A. Now, put the 200 pounds on a 900-pound horse (for 1100 pounds total) and both horses are now expending exactly the same amount of energy!!!!! This is why all of these "physics" arguments have been waaaaay too simplistic, and of no value in determing the amount of real effects of weight carried on endurance horses. -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.chiprider.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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