OK, I'll jump in on this. I use a heart rate
monitor for training and at rides. I like to watch for several things such
as trends, what causes a spike, what does NOT cause a spike, how fast is
the recovery, etc. It is not the end all and be all. The heart rate
must be taken in context with the over all appearance and behavior of the
horse. If Jazzi is slow and not wanting to move out I look to see if
she is taxed by using all the info I can get such as heart rate, reparatory
rate, number of miles and trail conditions, etc. If it appears my horse
would rather not work, I test it by getting a trot (or canter, gait) for a bit
and then looking at the recovery time. Is the recovery taking too long
compared to the horses normal recovery time? Is the recovery quick and
fast? When starting the test how easy was it to get to the normal
trot heart rate, did it go higher in a short amount of time?
When training a very experienced, champion rider taught
me to slow down when the heart rate went above a certain rate. We used 140
beats per minute as the upper limit. So every time the heart
rate goes above 140, slow down. This should keep the rider from
over riding the horse. In theory by setting the upper limit at
140 the rider will keep the horse out of anaerobic metabolism and thus
avoid metabolic issues.
A heart rate monitor will not always
be the first sign of trouble, sometimes something else will tip you that all is
not well. Jazzi refused a carrot at a vet check at a ride and it was the
beginning of the worst colic I have ever witnessed in any horse. Her heart
rate never went up.
On the lighter side I love to see if the spook is for
real or if Jazzi is just kidding. A real spook should be accompanied by a
heart rate spike. Jazzi and many of the neighborhood horses are always
spooking at a turn in the trail which has a big bushy oak tree that blocks the
line of sight. This corner has been named Spooks Corner for all the
unplanned dismounts that occur there. After years of riding this trail
Jazzi still goes on high alert and some times will even spook when there is
nothing to spook at. If her heart rate stays in her normal range I know
she playing with me as a real spook has a big spike with it.
This has been my experience. A heart rate monitor
is a good tool to use, but it is not the only thing to look at. It will
not always save your horse from problems, but it provides excellent
data. I hope this helps,
Nancy Reed
Lazy J Ranch
Elfin Forest, CA
(were I may never get to ride the hills again due
to all the rain!)
