Polo Acceleration

This equation allows you to approximate the acceleration it will take for a horse and rider to achieve the horse's top speed from a standstill.  This is obviously just an equation used to generate a gross estimate and is used purely for conversation purposes.

You may enter your top speed estimate for a horse and rider or use the default value which comes from the vCalc constant: Top Speed of a Horse.  You may also enter a duration for the time it will take to accelerate to a full gallop, or use the default estimate which is based on Penny's acceleration period (Penny is a competition Polo Pony).

This equation makes a number of assumptions, obviously, as the time will vary widely depending on the type of horse, the rider experience, the maximum speed of the horse, etc. 

• This equation assumes the horse and rider are standing still before launching toward a full gallop. 
• It assumes linear acceleration during the period when the horse is going from standing still to a full gallop, thus this is better described as estimating an "average" acceleration.
• It limits the maximum speed to the Top Speed of a Horse constant in vCalc, which is itself an estimate.
• The default duration for the acceleration period is set to an estimate based on specific competition Polo Pony named Penny.
• The default top speed of a horse is derived from a website showing top speeds for a number of animals (see Top Speed of a Horse).  This equation assumes this maximum speed is achievable over the estimated acceleration period and that the rider has no impact on the maximum speed achievable by the horse.  I know, that's a little optimistic.