working heart rate

[Adrienne <weabe@ix.netcom.com>]

I've been following this thread with interest, but am curious why some 
think the working heart rate should be the same for each horse. I used to 
be an endurance athlete and I had my maximum heart rate tested (under 
controlled conditions, pushed myself to the point where my heart rate 
reached a plateau and then started creeping down in spite of my best 
efforts, then my "working heart rate" was calculated based on that. My 
maximum heart rate was 196, whereas my training partner's was 175 which 
meant nothing regarding our comparative fitness; it was just an individual 
difference. I'm not sure how you would go about determining a horse's 
maximum heart rate, but I'm willing to bet it varies among individuals. 
Maybe Tom has some insight on this...?

Adrienne
Portland, OR