THE PHYSICS BEHIND A HORSE JUMP

What is physics?
Physics is the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy

When a horse jumps, it must use the correct amount of speed and force to get itself and it's rider over an obstacle. The actual jump can be described as an upward arc, or parabola over the obstacle.

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THE JUMP CAN BE SPLIT INTO FOUR PARTS:

• The approach
• The takeoff
• The flight
• The landing

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THE APPROACH

• The horse moves at a steady and even gait, normally at the canter
• The horse reaches down with its neck to lower its front legs and center of mass
• The front legs then reach forward
• This allows the back legs to come under the horses body so that it can push off the ground and over the obstacle

Example of failed and well done approach:

THE TAKEOFF

• After the horse takes its last stride, it shifts its weight backwards by shortening its neck and lengthening the shoulders
• As its weight moves backwards, the hind legs compress
• This allows the horse to use maximum force to push off the ground and over the jump

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THE FLIGHT

• As the horse leaves the ground it lifts its knees to curl the legs up
• The tighter the legs are against the body the better, so the horse has a lesser chance of knocking over the jump
• The horses center of mass follows the parabolic motion it creates while jumping

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THE LANDING

• To reduce forward motion and slow the rate of impact, the horse swings its head up as it reaches the ground
• When the front legs land, both push of the ground in a downward and backward direction
• As the hind legs reach the ground, the horse reaches out its forelegs giving the hindquarters space to land

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THE PHYSICS BEHIND THESE STEPS

• Newtons 1st, 2nd, and 3rd law
• Kinetic energy
• Potential energy
• Velocity

Newtons 2nd law: Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object)
This law can be applied to show jumping because a larger horse has a higher mass, and in turn a larger amount of force. This is why the horses seen at major show jumpings events are always very large.

Newtons 3rd law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The statement means that in every interaction, there is a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects.
This is seen in show jumping because when the horse pushes down on the ground, it is then able to move upwards and into the air.

Kinetic energy: Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. An object that has motion has kinetic energy.
A horse experiences kinetic energy before and after the jump, in the approach and landing phases.

Potential energy: Potential energy is the stored energy of position possessed by an object.
A horse experiences potential energy when it is in the third phase of jump, flight.

Velocity: The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position with respect to a frame of reference, and is a function of time.
A horse and rider reach a velocity of zero when the horse is in the flight phase.

Newton's first law: An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
An example of Newton's first law in horse jumping is when a horse refuses a jump(stops in front of it) and the rider continues to move forward, which could result in a fall.

Bibliography:
Stinner, Arthur. "The Physics of Equestrian Show Jumping." Arthurstinner.com. N.p., Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
"Motion and Forces Involved in Horseback Riding | Online Homework Help | SchoolWorkHelper." Online Homework Help SchoolWorkHelper. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/horse+jumping
http://ajwhitfield.blogspot.com
http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/law2.html
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/newtons-third-law-building-balloon...