Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Please Reply to: Char  char.antuzzi@xxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Yesterday I was playing around with my gelding and the heart
rate monitor. At a trot, say 6mph to 8mph gradual climb his
heart rate stayed right around 148. I stayed in that gait for
appx. 10 min. He came down to 58 in about 8 min. Stayed at 58
walking for about ten min, then cantered him. Same gradual climb
his heart rate instead of being at 148 went down to 137, stayed
at that rate for 10 min. Now here is my question, at the trot
his heart rate was higher but he came down faster. At the
canter his heart rate was lower but instead of taking about 8
min to come down he took about 15 min. His resp was "normal" 
ie.. not blowing or inverted, etc. So my question is this, what "gait" is 
better for this horse given the lower heart rate
at a canter but taking time to come down, or taking the higher
heart rate at the trot but coming down quicker. Off course I 
don't mean to say I'd canter a 50 mile ride, but just wondering
what these numbers mean to you all experienced folks out there.

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Just because someone tells you that your horse isn't "fit" for
endurance...doesn't mean it isn't, it just means your horse isn't fit to be
"their" endurance horse! Go for it, you never know what you'll accomplish
with that "saddle horse" or "trail horse" of YOURS!
~ Darlene Anderson - DPD Endurance

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