ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: carrying weight

Re: carrying weight

K S Swigart (katswig@deltanet.com)
Fri, 19 Sep 1997 22:00:33 -0700 (PDT)

On Fri, 19 Sep 1997, Tina Hicks wrote:

> Regarding the weight discsussion, does the weight a horse loses during a
> race factor at all into his ability to handle the load from beginning to end
> of the day? Or is that loss insignificant to the overall load?

Since a horse will lose between 50 and 100 lbs during the course of a
ride, one would assume that if weight were a factor, that this amount of
weight would not be considered insignificant;

however, since all the horses are going to be losing weight during the
ride.

Additionally, it is likely that the weight that a horse loses duirng the
course of a ride is much more useful than mere dead weight. I would not
recommend trying to reduce your horse's weight load by managing him in
such a way that he loses more weight during the ride:) (since most of this
weight is water weight).

Race horse handlers, however, make a point of not watering their horses
too soon before a race as a bucket full of water is not something that you
want your racehorse carrying around the racetrack with him.

kat

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