Mass
x acceleration equals force, the basic math behind understanding force and loads
affects the horse and rider in ways that might surprise and shock you.
Mass
x acceleration equals force, the basic math behind understanding force and loads
affects the horse and rider in ways that might surprise and shock you.
Think of a rider weighing 80kg sitting in the saddle while the horse is standing still. Its a simple relationship with the weight largely centred on the saddle seat and subsequently distributed evenly across the horses back. When the rider stands, on a good saddle the weight stays centred on the saddle thanks to the stirrup leathers with the weight still largely evenly distributed. All good so far but what happens when rider and horse start moving?
With the horse at a canter and the rider standing, a rhythmic wave builds in the riders vertical movement which translates to a regular up and down stroke. This leads to pressure pulses on the stirrups as horse then rider bottom out on the stroke and the rider imparts their full weight on the stirrup. At a moderate frequency of 1Hz (1 full cycle per second) there is little acceleration so the riders weight equals the load. However, as frequency increases so too does acceleration and load.
A frequency of 1Hz may be a light and easy canter but pick up the pace even a little and its easy to reach 2Hz. At this rate the riders weight has virtually doubled in terms of force with the horse now experiencing a shock pulse of 160kg, or 80kg on each stirrup. Go further and 3 Hz delivers 240kg total or 120kg per stirrup! At this point its important to note that its not just the horse affected here. Both the rider and horse are feeling this extra force, the horse through the stirrups and saddle and the rider through the legs and knees. Remember how you felt last time after a big days ride?
The patented GPG Stirrups technology is designed to deal with this very problem. The unique spring loaded stirrup support cushions the load up to around 170kg per stirrup or over 4 Hz for a 80kg rider. Jumpers experience very high frequencies and the GPG Stirrup is ready to deal with the potentially damaging downward force pulse cushioning both horse and rider.
Heavier riders obviously need more support and the built in adjustment nut allows for a programmed amount of pre-load to be applied to the spring to minimise mid-cycle float and better handle higher weight shock loads. Only the GPG Stirrup provides automatic comfort and shock absorption to help both rider and horse.
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