ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] Self-carriage

Re: [endurance] Self-carriage

Truman Prevatt (prevatt@lds.loral.com)
Tue, 19 Mar 1996 10:51:23 -0400

Diane
>
>Then we have our Arabs. These guys hit the ground with erect tails and
>noses pointed to the moon! Watch the babies. The natural way of going
>is head erect, concave back, elevated croup. Add the weight of a rider
>and you further "hollow out" the picture. I can get an Arab to travel
>with his nose on the ground (the ultimate down 'n round), but only after
>2 years of careful, correct training--including correct lateral work.
>Could we hazard a guess that self-carriage for Arabs is different from
>that of WB & TB's, especially at the trot? Most Arabs going down the
>trail will have--on average--a more erect way-of-going. Perhaps we need
>to redefine the concept of self-carriage for the trail horse. Within the
>normal parameters it is easy to spot that which is "incorrect" -- stiff,
>stabby gait, hind end dragging along like some kind of caboose,
>exaggerated arc to the hind legs as the horse approaches a racing trot,
>little or no freedom in the swing to the head and neck in rhythm to the
>trot. In fact, it is the concept of "rhythm" which would best define the
>working gait for an Arab...on trail. (Ring work is different, it is ridden
>differently and with more control, with emphases placed more on a rigid
>set of standards for hand/seat/legs).
>

Some interesting concepts in here. One of the reasons that the performance
levels in human athletics have come so far in the past 20 years is there is
a much better understanding of motion, energy efficency and performance.
Much has been made possible through the use of computer modeling. Today
when you watch a human marathon or a 100 meter dash the commentators will
be spending time analyzing the carrage and strides of the runners and
pointing out efficient strides.

A human sprinter has very high knee action with very long strides. A
sprinter runs with a lot of forward lean and a somewhat "hollowd back".
The sprinter has very aggressive arm action - almost pumping his arms. A
long distance runner has low knee action and shorter strides - the longer
the distance the shorter the stride. A distance runner has a very slight
forward lean with the upper body and very little arm action. At distances
inbetween (the middle distances) a sprint and long distance - for example
the mile and two mile - the form is somewhere inbetween the sprinter and
the distance runner. The middle distance runner will have to change forms
depending on where he is in the race. Some middle distance runners come
from the distance ranks and some come from the sprinting ranks so each
tends to run with a slightly different forms.

What you seem to be saying is that the same is true for horses and when the
differences in physical makeup of breeds is taken into account the picture
is even more complex. Each activity and each breed have different types of
strides which is the most efficient for the given body build. I think
natural self-carriage is a much better term than collection when discussing
the trail horse. Some very good food for thought.

Truman

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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.

Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
and Danson "The Demon in Training" Flame

prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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