Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Saga of the Heart Monitor

> If anaerobic status is the worry, then my question to the vets here and
any
> ride vet is, does a high heart rate necessarily indicate that the horse is
> working anaerobically? IOW, if the horse is "jazzed" or if it just spooked
> at a little purple flower and the heart rate zooms past 140, is it working
> anaerobically. My hunch says no. Wasting energy? Yes.

It used to be thought that horses switched from aerobic to anerobic
metabolism at somewhere around 155-160 bpm, but now we know that's not
necessarily the case.  Some really unfit horses might be going anerobic at
alot lower heart rate, and other really fit horses may happily romp along at
180 bpm for miles and miles and never touch anerobic.  Also,
aerobic/anerobic isn't an all-or-nothing thing---it's more of a sliding
scale where you're just using more of the anerobic pathways the higher you
go.  Even at rest, you're using a little of the anerobic pathways; and even
at a flat out sprint, you're using some of the aerobic pathways.  So,
Howard, if Dance Line recovered well after exercising at 158 or 168 or
whatever, and didn't show signs of muscle fatigue and so on, I wouldn't get
too worried, and I certainly wouldn't retire him based on that alone.

I also agree that yup, adrenaline can really jump the HR up there, but that
doesn't necessarily mean the muscles are working at red line if the horse is
just walking around at the start.  I think Truman is right, you just haven't
quite found the sweet spot for the HRM yet, plus adrenaline and ambition to
be in front is pumping things up a bit.  Don't lose sleep over it. :-))

Susan G



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