Re: Help on Saddle Design
Truman Prevatt (truman.prevatt@netsrq.com)
Mon, 10 Nov 1997 12:20:42 -0500
>There's a law of enertia. You may haveheard of it! It says something like,
>a moving mass creates more energy, and you don't want to create more of it!
> So, the rolls need to be within an inch of the leg to get you stopped,
>sooner. Think of it as a working tool.
>
Actually the law of inertia is a object in uniform motion will remain in
motion unless acted on by an external force. In the case of interest the
external force is the horse as transfered to the rider thorugh the roll.
It is the composition of this force that is important. No matter how far
it is from the rider's leg it should divert the riders momentum down into
the horse. If it simply diverts the the lower body, then the momentum of
the upper body will cause the ride to come off the horse if the rider is
not adjusting for the change in momentum using his kinematic balance.
An example of someone with good kinematic balance is the great basketball
player Michael Jordan. The ability to change directions in mid air is just
his superior kinematic balance at work.
In fact if the rider has good kinematic he doesn't need the aid or rolls or
blocks on the saddle. Kinematic balance is the stuff of endurance riders,
eventers, etc. while static balance is the stuff of dressage. This may
explain why some of the "most balanced" endurance riders look pretty poor
in an dressage ring and some good dressage riders look like hell galloping
through the trees.
In any case the rolls should be designed to aid the rider to maintain his
kinematic balance not to just merely retard motion.
Truman
Truman Prevatt
Mystic "The Horse form Hell" Storm with a lille hellion on the way
The Rockman, a.k.a Misty Jr.
Jordy - Finaly getting his shot
Sarasota, FL