thoroughbred conformation racehorse
thoroughbred conformation racehorse
thoroughbred conformation racehorse
thoroughbred conformation racehorse
     
 

Long striders - champions or duds ?

"The long striding racehorse is somewhat of a contradiction in racing circles; from this type of horse we get the two extremes of racehorses, the all-time champions and the one paced snails. Why is there such a pronounced contrast in horses that have long strides?"


 A horse with a long stride has often been associated with champion racehorses such as Man o' War, Secretariat and Phar Lap. A long stride can enable champion horses to cover more ground than those with shorter strides, but with a similar effort. Not all horses of this type are champions, in fact champion horses usually gather their long stride from sheer athletic traits, where as the slower types of long striders gather their stride primary from their bone structure and muscle type. Thus these two types of long striding horses each have their own specific strengths and weaknesses, which vary greatly and ultimately decide their racetrack potential. Here we analyze this group of horses by conformation and other key factors, to define each types variations, and traits.

Power gearing (Gears theory) assessed using a racehorses conformation plays a big part in the analysis of long striders, and for those un-familiar with the term it may be defined as: "The compounding relationship between the length and angles of bones and joints that are used to transmit motion. The gearing reflects the mechanical advantage resulting from a horses specific lever lengths and angles". Power gearing gives the horse the correct ratio of speed and strength which results in optimal galloping efficiency and pace over distance

The three basic types of long striders include

1.       Champions, clean winded, well co-coordinated with a relaxed, long and faster stride.
2.       Elephants,  bone structure produces long strides with a slower turnover (dour, one paced types)
3.       Combination of both of the above.

Analysis of each type.

 

2000 words

Obtain the full article and lots more by purchasing the Horsegears Racehorse Conformation E-book

 

As published in the Breeding & Racing magazine

 

 
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