Originally Posted by
Maoraigh1
"Horizontal velocity allows friction with the ground to dissipate kinetic energy at a gentler rate than happens with a completely vertical impact"
Friction with ground will dissipate kinetic energy parallel to the ground.
Kinetic energy perpendicular to the ground will be dissipated by deformation of the object and the ground. The latter will be over a very short time interval.
Energy is a scalar, not a vector - it has no direction. I believe you are confusing it with momentum.
PDR