Newbie says thanks

[drhopkins@greenapple.com]

To all of you who responded to my query of pulse rate lower at a canter--THANK 
YOU.  The response with all the different possibilities was great.  I do think 
that a number of you were correct.  His hair is long and problably causing the 
electrodes to lose contact.  I didn't think that it would read higher with poor 
contact but the double reading makes sense because his pulse rate is low at a 
walk until we trot a bit.  His pulse rate would also get higher near the houses 
with the horse chasing dogs.  We were riding alone and he does get a little more 
nervous when we don't have company.  I also have a new endurance saddle on order 
because I've been using a Western saddle that puts too much pressure on his 
loins.  His most efficient gate probably is the canter.  He was bred to race and 
loves to go, plus I two point at canter with him so I'm not on his back.  His 
pulse rate is also probably higher because I feed him more oil and give him an 
extra bit of fat because he doesn't tolerate the cold well.  I don't think the 
easy boots freak him out, but I don't think he's gotten real comfortable with 
them yet.  I hope it works for him because I don't like the cracks I see on his 
hooves from the nail holes.  His feet look worse now than when I got him two 
years ago with no shoes, a scraggly coat and very underweight.  The vet says he 
looks great and he gets biotin supplements, but my barefoot mare's white, non 
supplemented hoofs now look better than his.  We'll see how it goes.

Thanks,

Anna