ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] HRM usage
[endurance] HRM usage
Nick Warhol (nwarhol@mscorp.kla.com)
Tue, 30 Apr 96 08:57:00 PDT
Tina asked about how to use her brand new heart monitor. (has anyone noticed
how much the prices have come down lately? I saw a Polar basic advertised
for $145!)
What we have done is to just go out and use it a lot. Put it on every time
you ride, even for short trail jaunts. Use it to really learn how your
horse reacts to different conditions. Over time you will begin to notice
patterns, especially regarding hill work and recoveries. Go climb a big
hill, and at the top simulate a vet check. Try it a few times and keep
track of the horses recoveries, then the next time dump water on your horses
neck. Does his heart rate come down faster? I bet it does.
Judy and I have a little pulse game we play when we ride together. (not very
often, lately) We both have the HRMs, so we call out our horses pulse to
each other all the time. We have a very consistent theme between Warpaint
(the wonder Appy) and Shatta (the young arab). No matter where we are, or
what we are climbing, or how fast we are going, the two horses pulses are
always about 20 to 25 beats per minute apart. (Shatta's is lower)
The point is we have used the HRMs to learn what is normal for our horses.
It takes some time, but it is worth it. The HRM is almost like cheating in
a vet check, but don't use it just for rides. It will help you know how
your horse is doing all the time.
Nick Warhol