trot/canter heartrates.
Nancy Mitts (MS-MITTS@VM.MSSC.EDU)
Thu, 21 Nov 96 19:23:35 CST
I have done some experimenting with heart rates at the trot vs lope. A
lot depends at what gait is the most comfortable for the horse. Racer has
to be trotting awfully fast before I can switch to a lope & see a lower
heart rate.Other horses I have ridden do have a lower rate at the lope then
the same speed (mph) trot. HOWEVER on a horse I borrowed this year--We
were trotting at a HR of about 140.When I dropped to a walk his HR began
to drop immediately, slowly & steadily. When we would lope, his HR was
115-120,BUT when I dropped to a walk the HR would INCREASE to 150 or so
before beginning to drop.I never went on to develop any profound
conclusions as to which was "best", I was really just amusing myself.DIMR
leads to doing strange things for fun!Nancy.