What Is Strength?
This is inspired by Argent II's observations on Driving horse physique IRL vs. game standards.
It may be that HWO in numerous aspects -- beyond Driving -- makes this error, first equating Strength with pulling power, and then applying that same *kind* of strength to light horse activities. There are different ways for horses to be strong, just as human vary: marathoners aren't power lifters, for example. And we've all seen "rather weak" Arabians, Barbs, Turkmenes and their relatives (Akhal-Tekes, Baladis, etc.) do well enough in speed and endurance; some even manage to get to high levels in Dressage and jumping/hunting.
But even in these under-saddle light horse events, there are some anomalies: in my experience, a horse who does well in racing events and Hunter has an unexpectedly hard time competing in Cross Country if the Breeder's Report characterizes it as having less than average strength. See my horses' records: Buttercup, Just What I Wanted, Rouette, and Summer Moon, all below average in "Strength", do worse in Cross Country than Yultide Dancer ("average"; WAB x Tarpan) and SideKick (plus; half Forest Horse, half Belgian). In order to perceive this it's necessary to consider the number of entries it took each horse to get to a given level.
The same horses experience a similar, though smaller, effect in Show Jumping. IRL the most successful Show/Stadium jumpers are built as Argent II describes (warmblood) or lighter; the activity demands a comparatively high strength-to-body-mass ratio, just like a human gymnast.
As time goes on and more knowledge accumulates, the game standards could change to take this more into account. May I please have about 5 (RL) days' grace, however, to finish SideKick's driving career?
It may be that HWO in numerous aspects -- beyond Driving -- makes this error, first equating Strength with pulling power, and then applying that same *kind* of strength to light horse activities. There are different ways for horses to be strong, just as human vary: marathoners aren't power lifters, for example. And we've all seen "rather weak" Arabians, Barbs, Turkmenes and their relatives (Akhal-Tekes, Baladis, etc.) do well enough in speed and endurance; some even manage to get to high levels in Dressage and jumping/hunting.
But even in these under-saddle light horse events, there are some anomalies: in my experience, a horse who does well in racing events and Hunter has an unexpectedly hard time competing in Cross Country if the Breeder's Report characterizes it as having less than average strength. See my horses' records: Buttercup, Just What I Wanted, Rouette, and Summer Moon, all below average in "Strength", do worse in Cross Country than Yultide Dancer ("average"; WAB x Tarpan) and SideKick (plus; half Forest Horse, half Belgian). In order to perceive this it's necessary to consider the number of entries it took each horse to get to a given level.
The same horses experience a similar, though smaller, effect in Show Jumping. IRL the most successful Show/Stadium jumpers are built as Argent II describes (warmblood) or lighter; the activity demands a comparatively high strength-to-body-mass ratio, just like a human gymnast.
As time goes on and more knowledge accumulates, the game standards could change to take this more into account. May I please have about 5 (RL) days' grace, however, to finish SideKick's driving career?
Argent II Offline
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Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:41 pm Posts: 630
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Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:41 pm Posts: 630 Re: What Is Strength?
Marathoners are not strong individuals; they have tremendous endurance. Their muscles are slow twitch, allowing them to function a high levels for long periods of time. Gymnasts require a lot of strength for their brief, high energy performances, and as such, they have lots of bulky fast-twitch muscles. Strength is not related to "pulling power," but it is related to the ability to exert a lot of force in a short period of time.
The situation with Racing, Hunter, and Cross Country is not surprising if you pay attention to the requirements for those sports. Racing is Speed>Stamina>Strength>Speed, Hunter is Movement>Strength>Tempo>Balance, and CC is Stamina>Strength>Agility>Balance. A horse trained in racing is judged 50% on speed and only 20% on strength, whereas CC is judged 30% on strength, and 70% on other things. The body type that favors speed is very different from the type that favors strength or stamina, so it's no surprise that a horse that excels in racing would flop in CC or even Hunter. You also have to take into account all of the other desired attributes and how they affect the horse's body type.
The situation with Racing, Hunter, and Cross Country is not surprising if you pay attention to the requirements for those sports. Racing is Speed>Stamina>Strength>Speed, Hunter is Movement>Strength>Tempo>Balance, and CC is Stamina>Strength>Agility>Balance. A horse trained in racing is judged 50% on speed and only 20% on strength, whereas CC is judged 30% on strength, and 70% on other things. The body type that favors speed is very different from the type that favors strength or stamina, so it's no surprise that a horse that excels in racing would flop in CC or even Hunter. You also have to take into account all of the other desired attributes and how they affect the horse's body type.
(14:43:36) Nate: argie goes around the farm at foaling time with a tape measurer, an angle measurer, and a club