>Horses, as much as we would like to believe, were NOT "designed" for our
>purposes. The act of riding is highly unnatural, the horse is built like a
>suspension bridge between the fore and hind legs. The spine is "designed" to
>support the "guts" of the horse as they hang underneath the spine. The
horse
>was NOT "designed" to carry weight on top of the spine as well as support his
>entire torso from underneath. But, they get along alright, if we take in
>consideration their physical limitations.
Um, the last time I looked, we drive our cars across the *top* of
suspension bridges, we don't hang underneath them. The horse's
muscle-skeletal system is fully capable of carrying the weight we're asking
of them.
BTW, I also agree whole-heartedly with Bob Morris' post. It is perfectely
normal for athletes in endurance competitions ... human and equine ... to
get tired. It is the rider's responsibility to take care of the horse and
not bring it to exhaustion or injury.
--Joe Long <jlong@mti.net> Business: http://www.mti.net Personal: http://www.rnbw.com