Re: Newbie query: why required weight...yada yada yada

["Glenda R. Snodgrass" <grs@TheNetEffect.com>]

Just because I feel like jumping into the fray .... ;)

> HOWEVER, I think Donna Snyer-Smith is the only person I have heard of (might
> not be the only one you flamers..) speak about the EFFICIENCY of the rider.
> That is something I feel is a lot harder and a lot more important, if not
> impossible, to measure the affect on the horse than is just weight.  Packing
> your backpack with weight is one thing...HOW you pack it and WITH WHAT kind
> of weight is another thing.  Same thing with weight of riders...a heavier
> rider that is more efficient than a lighter weight rider who is much more
> imbalanced...which is better, which is worse?

This goes back to skill of both rider and horse, as how you move under a
weighted backpack modifies the effect that weight has on your body (in our 
hiking example), ergo how efficiently the horse moves has a large impact
on how hard he works under varying weightloads.

Hmmm, really tough to try and quantify all the variables in an endurance
ride.

Glenda & Lakota
Mobile, AL
AERC # M18819 & H27310
SE Region