Horses Breezing: How Much Force

As they come down the stretch watch the lead leg hit the ground through each stride and it hardly looks like all that big a deal. There's an appearance of concussion, to be sure, as the hoof strikes the ground but it's far less than the bone shattering effect you expect reading my last series of posts.

Keep in mind that mostly down the stretch they're going in :13s which differs markedly in intensity from a sprinter doing :11s. Stride style also affects as low choppy striders will hit the ground less efficiently but also with less force than the long flowing outward reaching stride. In any event, regardless of speed you wonder where the supposed 12,000 lbs/sq. inch of concussion comes from.

It's there, be assured, but you have to observe really really close to see it. First, I'll note as in prior posts, if you're on the horse at speed the amount of concussion is quite obvious. You both hear a thud at speed as the front legs strike, but you can feel the force of impact reverberating through the horse. Its of such force that when I'm on I'm planning an exit with every stride. the sensation is that scary.

What really happens--where the 12,000 lbs./sq. inch applies in the flowing stride as the front leg reaches out and down as in the illustration of the lead horse in the photo, is that at some point after the hoof hits the ground and while still in contact with the ground on the follow through the entire weight of the horse balances on that one leg. This happens only for an instant, quite luckily, but for that second all of the force is there. It's probably in that split moment of full weight bearing contact that we need to consider what's occurring in our cannon bone.

Training:
Wed. 7/23/08 The Woodlands closes. I'll comment on this soon. After yesterday's speed work the horses were off.