Try as I might, no matter how long or how steep or how fast we go up a hill,
I can't get one of my horses HR to get up to 200. Maybe it does, and the
monitor doesn't catch it, and by then it drops again? Anyway, we cruise up
a pretty long steep hill, sorry I can't give length, altitude, grade, etc.
It takes is a full 10-12 minutes at a nice crusing trot (my other horse
would have to canter to keep up), and even when I push him hard up the
steepest part when we get to the top and keep going he stays at a maximum
steady rate of 186. Is it important for me to push him harder? Carry more
weight? Will it make any difference in his overall conditioning if he never
does have his HR go up to or over 200? Just to compare - when I ride my
other horse up this hill, his rate will easily go up to 200 or more, and at
a slower speed even - and other horses I ride with also go over 200. By the
way, I do a lot of hills - can't help it, we're surrounded!! Elevation here
is about 4600 and I regularly ride up to 9400' and back.
Most of the time, we trot at a rate of about 105 to 112. This is a fast
trot, and we go for about 40 minutes at a time at this rate. I do a 10-12
mile loop in under an hour, and that includes a couple of hills, mostly
trotting, and some cantering. If I go into the sand it'll increase to maybe
the 120 range. Recovers usually at 60 or under in two minutes. I don't
think this horse could trot fast enough to get his HR up to 130 or 140 -
though he can trot faster at 110 than my other horse can at 140. It is
interesting, he can trot at 120, then go to a canter at the same speed and
drop his HR to 108. Is any of this making sense? So what I am wondering is
if I am doing my horse any good to go out and ride him for three hours up
and down hills at heart rates that seem so low. Should I push him more? To
be honest, he has never gone all out, even at a ride. I don't know how to
get him to gallop full out - we do sometimes do a nice run but he doesn't
care to go real fast. I have to wave my rommel just to get him to canter.
I often get a resting HR on this horse of 23 on the HRM. His rates stay the
same in an actual ride, and usually are lower because I train harder than I
compete.
Now my other horse is a whole different story. I have to slow him down. So
you can say I have strong legs AND arms!! Quite different, those two.
I made up little 3 x 5 index cards that I take with me when I condition, and
log down everything on them. The weather conditions, date, footing, length
of ride, recoveries, everything. It is really interesting to look back and
see the improvement of the horses and how the different individuals compare.
(yes, I am easily amused too!)
Has anybody else noticed that the longer you get in the ride, the lower and
more stable the HR becomes? I don't mean from the start when the horses are
excited, but say from the ten mile point to the forty mile point? It's like
they settle in - does this happen to horses on a 100 miler? (I'm dying to
find out myself).
I would appreciate any and all advice, and would love to hear from other
riders who have horses with low rates and hear how they do. I'm starting to
do rides of greater distance than 50's (multiday and 100's), and want to be
as prepared as possible.
Thank you! Happy Trails,
Karen
in Gardnerville
& Weaver --> next week first multiday ride!
& Rocky