Answer to Question #291857 in Physics for Jamie

Question

Need to figure out the ground reaction forces on a horse standing still, walking 

The horse in question would be 500kg and what I need to is to determine the force on the front legs. The horse distribute their weight with 52% on the front legs and 48% on the back legs. Assuming the foot/hoof is circular with a diameter of 150mm. What force occurs on the front feet? 

Standing still ? And walking, around 2m/s?

Thanks 

Answer 1

The weight of the horse is

$$W=500·9.8=4900\text{ N}.$$

This weight is unevenly distributed between the pair of front and pair of back legs. Therefore, the force on the front legs is

$$F_f=0.52W=2548\text{ N}.$$

The force on a single front leg is

$$F_{fs}=F_f/2=1274\text{ N}.$$

The force when the horse is walking depends on the properties of terrain and mechanical properties of the horseshoe and the leg itself.