Power gearing verses overall balance

"Horses that are lacking overall balance, can still possess the power gearing to win good class races."

Which has more affect on a horses speed?

While both power gearing, and overall balance are important factors in rating a horses potential via its conformation, they both influence a horses speed or potential in opposing ways.

Power gearing is what allows a horse to gain superior speed over its rivals, and determines its potential top speed. Balance is what allows a horse to run close to this potential top speed.

Balance can be considered similar to soundness, although it is desirable, its unlikely to provide a horse with extra speed all things being equal. rather it gives a horse a better chance of reaching its potential.

The key here is that each horses own potential top speed varies greatly, and is largely dependant on its own power gearing. The effect that balance has on a horses speed is significantly less. Thus a horse that has superior power gearing, is likely to defeat its rival that is well balanced, but lacks power gearing.

Early research suggests that the racehorse that processes superior power gearing will not be overly affected from being moderately out of balance over-all. The horse without power gearing, but with good balance, can still win reasonable races. However the horse without power gearing, may be significantly slower if it also lacks balance. Meaning the horse that is power geared can still successfully compete against another power geared horse that has better balance, and also defeat the un-geared horse with better over-all conformation. But its a double whammy for horses with low power gearing and poor overall conformation, as this combination seems to multiply any pronounced conformation weaknesses.

Summing up, gearing has the potential to significantly increase a horses top speed, while balance may only have a significantly lesser affect, by marginally slowing a horse down. Thus champions may come in all shapes and sizes, but the one trait most have in common is power gearing.

Image: Don't make the mistake of believing that selecting racehorses is all about flashy show conformation. Some horses that appear ugly to the eye, can still be power geared to win races.