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Re: [RC] HRM - Elizabeth WalkerA HRM doesn't replace judgement, but it can provide additional information that you can use to make a decision. I include the information from the HRM with what I observe about the horse. If there is a conflict, I go with my observations. I was judging that he was OK to continue the ride, but I did not know this horse that well at the time, and any extra info would have been a bonus. In this case, I was worried that there was something more than just a hot day going on. He started this at the bottom of the grade, where it was still pretty flat. He was sluggish, and kept turning his head: to look at me, or look at his side? I was worried about the possibility of colic. If the HRM had shown a persistently elevated heart rate, I would have turned around and gone home (probably would have gotten off and walked for a while). A normal HR would have been one extra bit of info to say that the behavior might be due to it being a hot day, since he had seemed fine up until then. If the HR had been normal, I would have done exactly what I did - slow down and watch him like a hawk all the way up the hill, doing very short trot segments and then walking and evaluating, and stopping in the shade now and then. And yes - I've had a HRM tell me my horse was about to die... usually when I was having a hard time convincing the dying horse not to take off like a rocket... :) On Feb 10, 2010, at 12:10 PM, k s swigart wrote: Elizabeth Walker said:I had done the same route the week before, and there had been no problems. Given the way he was acting, and the heat, I slowed down. I almost turned around to go back, but ended up deciding that he was not in trouble, just complaining about trotting uphill on such a hot day. We mostly walked up the hill. At the top, he was fine and perfectly willing to move out - he just didn't want to do it up the hill in the heat. Still wish I had had an HRM, though. It would have given me a bit more info.Like what more info? Other than an actual number for the heart rate? I am not being facetious here, I am genuinely curious what additional information you think an HRM would have given in this situation? You already knew it was hot, you already knew that the horse was struggling with the climb...in the heat, you decided that though he was not in trouble that he would benefit from slowing down so slowed him down and he was fine. Would the reason for having a HRM would be to tell you that though he was telling you that he was struggling with the climb at the trot in the heat, if the HR were "normal" that he was just goldbricking and you could have kept trotting? I don't recommend this, and here I am speaking generally, not about this situation in particular. EVEN if your horse's HRM tells you that his HR is "normal" for him, pushing him when he is showing other signs of having trouble is fraught with danger. Personally, I have never had a HRM tell me something that I didn't already know. In fact, if the HRM gives me a number that is not what I would be expecting, I have found that it is caused by the unit not functioning properly (for all kinds of different reasons). I have, however, had one lull me into a false sense of security (i.e. "normal" heart rates, even with trouble brewing, and making the mistake of ignoring the trouble because it didn't show up in the HR--I constantly remind myself not to let myself be fooled in that way). kat Orange County, Calif. :) p.s. I find HRMs nice at endurance rides at the vet check to tell me when the horse is close to "down" so I don't have to constantly check with a stethoscope instead. They are handy for that. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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