[LT] Interesting study on the effects of wearing heavy armor

[safisher]

[QUOTE=DanHoward;1227395]

That's just not true. The horse's digestive system works best if constantly feeding on small amounts. They never build up the reserves needed for endurance running.

Partially true. Horses have a very sensitive digestive system. It is a crippling, complex, system. I've seen horses die from over-eating, from a stomach ache, etc. However, horses are not a monolithic group of creatures. Steppe ponies, Quarter Horses, Shires, and Thoroughbreds can't be easily compared. There is great variability in horse breeds and horse personalities. Then there is training and management, which is a different kettle of fish. Comparing horses and humans is not very easy.

I can tell you that the average human cannot do persistence hunting, and the exceptional horse can give the exceptional human a run for his money. Most modern race times include a number of "vet checks" which wastes a lot of time. The races will stop if a vet thinks a horse is in trouble. Human races do not, to my knowledge, commonly have this limitation.

The horse's natural diet is also quite low in energy which is why they evolved the need to constantly feed. They have enough energy to outsprint most predators but simply can't go close to matching humans without extensive training and specialized diets.

I think it's more accurate to say that exceptional individuals can accomplish exceptional objectives. Horses with good strong bone structure, high muscle mass, a good heart, and in healthy condition will crush your average human on foot, even when carrying a human on its back. This is why cavalry was possible.

Even with this they barely match a human that has been similarly conditioned for endurance running. On top of this horses have many more problems later in life if they are conditioned for endurance running compared to, say, a ranch horse that has had a natural pasture diet and worked under more "normal "conditions.

It's almost impossible to talk about "horses" in any but general ways. I think it's rather that exceptional humans can barely keep up with exceptional horses. Much of it depends on the horse breed and its individual characteristics. Much like people.