efficient gaits

["Sarah Roxanne Zawacki" <zawackis@pilot.msu.edu>]

    I may be opening myself up to attack here, but...
    Isn't it possible that the discrepancy between racehorses on a treadmill
and endurance horses on the flat is that racehorses are bred for and, more
importantly, are conditioned at a canter/gallop and *some* endurance horses
are conditioned mostly at a trot?  It appears to me that neither gives
conclusive evidence, other than you get what you train for.
    Of course, there was that article on racehorses that said the canter
was more efficient than it was initially realized, because horses naturally
breathed with every stride, so that it was part of the motion.  Of course,
there was that theory by assorted endurance riders, like Linda T-J, that
a good endurance horse learns to breath in time with his/her trot...
    Is there any way to really determine whether a trot or canter is more
efficient, or is it safe to assume that each horse is different, and
those differences are enough to override any specific efficiencies in the
general design of a horse's gaits?  Did that make sense?


                        Sarah & Elliot, who is *still* not living within
                                        100 miles of me, but the fence
                                        will be done tomorrow...on to
                                        stalls!
--


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