Why a running man and horse bear less weight
A weight in transverse motion presses less toward the centre the faster it moves
In this text-only note Leonardo observes that a running man loads his legs less than when standing still, and likewise a galloping horse feels less of its rider's weight. He remarks that this is why many marvel that a horse in its course can support itself on a single foot, and concludes that a weight in transverse motion presses less perpendicularly toward the centre the faster it travels.
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Weight diminishes with speed in transverse motion
A man running bears less weight on his legs than standing still, and a running horse feels less of the rider's weight, able for an instant to stand on one hoof. Leonardo generalises that a weight in transverse (horizontal) motion weighs less perpendicularly toward the centre the faster it moves.
