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> Of course. I wouldn't think that factual information would be offensive.
> These facts are comparable to the human "animal athlete" as well. Both my
> husband and I are multi dregreed in Exercise Phys, and there is no doubt that
> weight is a factor not only in RESLUTS of exercise but also in the
> conditioning process. Indeed, over conditioning with excessive weight can
> cause damage over the course of conditioning, and so it is not really
> reasonable to assume that TRAINING with additional weight is a positive thing
> to do. as with our human subjects involved in tests and testing, weight loads
> are accumulated over the process of testing, adn so at any point, we can see
> the effects of "loading" AND also be certain to avoiv injury during testing,
> conditioning or in theis case, competition.
>
> Okay, anyone with a working, current knowledge of Lupus, please Email me
> privately. We need to know.
> sandy
Hi San,
I agree with you that training with too much additional weight can be
overdone and result in injury, so of course a FW/LW/MW rider wanting to
train a horse to a HW level of fitness would have to do so carefully and
gradually---as any increase in the work load should be. However,
assuming that the conditioning process were done slowly and sensibly, a
horse that has become accustomed and well-conditioned to carrying, say,
220 lbs during conditioning, and then goes out and only carries 140 lbs
during a race is going to be working at less than his maximum capacity.
On the other hand, a HW's horse that has been conditioned to carry 220
lbs during training, but still has to carry that same 220 lbs during a
race (because the heavier rider doesn't have the option of losing 80 lbs
in lead weights or whatever) is going to be racing at the
close-to-maximum capacity level he has been conditioned to. And
therefore, is at a disadvantage when going head-to-head with the above
described FW rider. And the horse that would be HOPELESSLY outmatched
would be the horse that has been conditioned by a FW rider during
training, but then ridden during the race by a HW rider!
BUT---if a FW rider trains AND races the horse carrying the same
(feather) weights, and is racing against a HW who has also been
conditioning and racing at the same (heavy) weights, then (disregarding
the additional wear-and-tear that heavier weights put on bone, tendon,
etc), the statistics indicate that these two competitors are equally
matched, and whoever wins is going to be based on OTHER (numerous)
factors, not simply that one rider outweighed the other. And the
explanation for that should supposedly be that the additional weight
carried by the HW horse during conditioning has resulted in a higher
degree of aerobic capacity, soft and dense tissue development, etc.,
wouldn't you agree?
Looking forward to your comments,
Susan
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