HRm Accuracy Re-Vist

[Roger Rittenhouse-vmaxept <roger@vmaxept.com>]

Now  I will bring up the issue of  equine heart rate monitor accuracy.
Please note - no product name here. 

As has been indicated on this list and other places and by  various
individuals there seems to be a question of concern that the heart
monitors developed and sold by many may not be accurate.

I have written a paper and posted such, which addresses this issue. 
Also these monitors have been verified in numerous universities and
research centers. 

We of course guarantee the HRM to be accurate within plus or minus one
beat. Now I can prove it.

I have just obtained a calibration device which can be used to measure
the accuracy the of any heart rate monitor on the market.

This device is calibrated by  a laboratory, certified by national
standards to within <1 beat per minute. I have calibration reports and
certified
statements on this device.  I am able to test any heart monitor
transmitter and receiver unit to prove the accuracy beyond any shadow of
doubt.

The reason WHY any HRM used on horses does not yield the 'correct'
reading is mostly due to rider interface problems. That is it is not
used correctly. As with any tool, including the stethoscope you have to
use the device correctly to obtain the correct data. The second reason
for 'erroneous' readings is defective equipment.

Then the data must be interpreted correctly to understand what it means
in relation to the current condition of the horse.

>From my 11 years of experience (more miles with a HRM then most) of
using this tool, I have found most users who complain about the device -
do not know how to use it correctly , 
do not use it consistently 
nor do they really understand the data as presented.

In no way does the use of this tool distract from the natural ability of
the rider to intuitively read the status of their horse. However I defy
anyone to be able to determine a 5 beat difference in HR of a working
horse under stress and/ or one experiencing a defect-fault in process by
'feeling' how their horse is going down the trail. The 5 BPM is MY
indicator that something is not correct.

If you are really tuned in to your horse and have used a HRM for many
miles you might get lucky and guess the current HR within 15 bpm.

I really do not care if I convince anyone that the use of this tool will
help you avoid a situation with your horse or not, but neither will all
your natural intuitive gut feeling horsemanship. 
By the time a horse is displaying a lameness or exhibiting a metabolic
problem, you have missed the point of early detection. That is the horse
is finished with that competition. The subtle slight changes in working
level HR are not distinguishable by  a gut feeling or how he feels under
your seat or hands. Many times the problems do not manifest themselves
until the horse lets down in the VC. However, the working level HR will
show there is something not right for that level of effort.

No need to try to convince anyone that it might help prevent a problem.
Either you use it to support and fine tune what you already know about
your horse or you don't.
The PRIMARY purpose of the tool is to aide you in determining the
current level of condition of your horse and help you to make a 
decision of when to move your horse up to the next level of the
conditioning program. The programs as defined by many writers and Tom
Ivers, stress the importance of not moving up too fast  or increasing
the speed and distance without a means to read your horse during these
transitions. Doing this by 'feel' is just guessing. If we guess right
the horse moves on, if not he gets damaged and we start over after the
recovery. 

I would still use and recommend this tool even IF I did not sell them. I
just happened to be in the right place at the right time 11 years ago.
If it would not have been me then someone else would have taken what Tom
Ivers was using in the Tb/STB discipline and re-engineered it to be
practical for endurance. I am defending the concept here and NOT the
sale of the product.

Over the years many have used this tool to the betterment of their
horses and the improvement of their level of competition. Sure seems, 
if it was of NO real value then some of the best riders in the world
have been duped. 

At least I now have an absolute accurate device to prove the monitors
really do display the correct HR. This EKG Simulator provides output
pulse rates of 30,60,120 and 180 BPM. All within <0.01 error.

Guess this will start another round of HRM  banter, I waited to offer a
re-buttal until I acquired this device and tested the equipment I am
using.
Roger R