Dogs may be the man's best friend, but when it comes to race, we have much more in common with the horses. By measuring the positions and speeds of horses for two matches of competitive polo and 56 races, researchers have discovered that horses, like people, slow when rounding a bend. All animals, when turning a corner, need to generate a force which is at right angles to its movement forward. Otherwise it slips away. Dogs shift force on their front legs, leaving free to continue to their movement before their legs from behind. But as human beings humans, horses are unable to increase their weight off the coast of all four legs. They offset the additional force by keeping the feet on the ground longer. This creates friction slows the animal, the team reports online today in the proceedings of the Royal Society b. If a horse wants to go faster, need trimming.
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