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That is indeed a very interesting horse.  If I read your post right, she 
will drop to 44 after exercise and then speed up to 52.  I have never seen 
that, but then as you say not all horses are usual.  I have often seen fat 
and unconditioned horses I was evaluating for purchase with a 44 pulse.  I 
would not worry to much about a 48 pulse on a never conditioned out of shape 
prospect.  52 would give me cause to look carefully for the reason before 
purchase.

I do beg to differ with: "...seem to have some absurd requirements with 
respect to HR..."

CTR is a different sport than endurance.  The horses are not exercised as 
hard, and all the pulse parameters are taken after a standard amount of 
recovery time. (10 minutes in UMECRA).  The pulse is being used as a 
relative indication of care of conditioning, care of riding, and fatigue. 
Since everyone knows exactly what speed is required and where most if not 
all the checks are, a good rider rides just fast enough to allow the time to 
walk the last 2 miles (this is marked) into the vet check.  Even on hot 
humid days high placing  horses with lightweight (under 180 lbs) riders will 
have a pulse between 36 and 44 bpm.  Heavyweight (180)  riders will have 
horses with 40-48 bpm. pulse recoverys.  Since all endurance riders know 
that weight doesn't really matter, I have no explanation of this.

Since nobody has figured out how to find out each horses true "resting" 
pulse, an arbitrary base figure is used and all pulse results above this 
have points deducted.  Pulse at preliminary vet in can't be used because, 
among other reasons, it would be real easy to make sure a horse had an 
elevated pulse.

There is a saying that you can make an endurance horse, but a CTR horse is 
born.  Those who are out for consistant high placings leading to top ten at 
the end of the year know that they must carefully select the CTR prospect 
for a low natural resting heart rate and calm disposition.  CTR is just a 
different game.  Many great CTR horses are only moderately good at 
endurance.  The reverse is also true.

CTR is not wrong, it is just a different game.

Ed
Ed & Wendy Hauser
2994 Mittower Road
Victor, MT 59875

(406) 642-9640

ranch(at)sisuwest(dot)us 


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