Re: Heart Rate

[Truman Prevatt <truman.prevatt@netsrq.com>]

We have been trying to deal with this hurricane down here so I haven't
had time to address Bob's post.  I think heart rate has been pretty much
tied to the oxygen requirement which is directly related to the energy
requirement.  If the same energy is used at a trot and a center, I
cannot see how stride length enters into the equation.  

Any physical system - and a biological is first and formost a physical
system - obeys the "law of least action".  The law of least action may
really be the only true physical law - the rest being manafestations of
this.  This basically states that any physical system will come to a
state where the minimal energy is required.  This has been given the
term resonance.

If a horse gallops at 15 mph at 120 and trots at 15 mph at 150, then he
will try to gallop. I believe that Lew Hollander even covers this in his
book under the term of resonance riding.   

I you trot while conditioning then you are not properly conditioning the
muscle groups necessary for cantering.  So if you canter in the ride
then you surly have more trouble coming to parameters.  I try to ride
like I condition and condition like I ride.  

That is why I mix it up and do a little bit of everything in riding and
conditioning.

One final point at a canter the horse may actually take in more oxygen
in its lungs than when it trots.  So it order to supply the oxygen to
the muscles at the trot it has to raise it heart rate.

Truman



Jerald Thiessen wrote:
> 
> Thank you for the input;
> I guess my question is not clear . I was trying to establish which gait is the most
> efficient and or why the heart rate is faster at a trot than canter. Bob Morris'
> answer regarding the heart rate in relation to rate of the stride is the key I think
> I am looking for.
> 
> So next question then is if the heart rate is based on the stride and not on the the
> oxygen requirement, then would the horse possibly not be using all the oxygen and
> there for going at  an aerobic burn at the trot ,while at the same speed at the
> canter the horse may be anaerobic and there for explaining the higher heart rate at
> the trot while maintaining  the ability to pulse down quickly or quicker than if he
> was cantered???
> 
> I am trying to make sense of this variance and I appreciate all the help.
> 
> Jerald
> 
> Truman Prevatt wrote:
> 
> > I change gaits often.  This allows the use of different muscle groups in
> > different ways - in both the horse and rider.  I know lots of people say
> > "you should pick a pace and stay with it".  Well that is not for me, I
> > mix it up, trot, canter, gallop and walk.  I let the terrain, the
> > climate conditions and how things are going - including the HRM, how I
> > feel, the phase of the moon and the sun spot activity determine what
> > gait I do when.
> >
> > Works for me.
> >
> > Truman
> >
> > Jerald Thiessen wrote:
> > snip
> >
> > > While I agree with the logic that I should being cantering because his heart
> > > rate is lower, I also know that I can get more mileage out of him on a given
> > > day at the trot.  He has been conditioned to the point where I have done a 12
> > > mile medium canter on him without causing him undo stress as he pulsed down in
> > > under 10 minutes. I believe my horse is well conditioned at both gaits, so
> > > bottom line, at an endurance pace which gait do most of you find more
> > > efficient? Does anyone else's horse have a higher pulse at the trot than at
> > > the canter or is it something that only happens in Canada?
> > >
> > > Jerald
> > >
> > > Kim wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Wed, 23 Sep 1998 12:04:02 -0600, Jerald Thiessen <thiesj@tdbank.ca>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I was having a discussion the other day on a training ride with a friend
> > > > > and we started talking about stress on a horses legs and cardiovascular
> > > > > systems. I  believe that trotting puts more stress on the legs but was
> > > > > easier on the cardiovascular system.My friend disagreed with me and
> > > > > raised a very good point. If trotting is easier on the cardiovascular
> > > > > system then why  does the heart rate go up when I pull the horse from a
> > > > > canter(120bpm) to  a trot (140bpm) and vice a versus when trotting if
> > > > > we go to a canter the heart rate drops.
> > > >
> > > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> > > >
> > > > Every gait has a point, or speed, which delivers the most work for the
> > > > least amount of oxygen (which would determine cardiac output).  Each
> > > > gait has a certain speed which uses the least amount of oxygen compared
> > > > to other speeds at that -same- gait.  You could push the horse to a
> > > > faster speed at that gait, but he would require more oxygen to maintain
> > > > that speed.  And, on the other end of the spectrum, you could slow a
> > > > horse down at the same gait, and he would require more oxygen because he
> > > > is not working efficiently --- he would require more oxygen to move 1
> > > > meter down the trail.
> > > >
> > > > So, each gait has it's own "optimal" speed, which requires the least
> > > > amount of oxygen for the horse.  Endurance riders will find this speed
> > > > after time --- this is the pace your horse tends to "settle" into during
> > > > a consistant-speed conditioning ride.
> > > >
> > > > Now, if you compare the oxygen requirements at a trot to a canter AT THE
> > > > SAME SPEED, one of these gaits is going to be very inefficent in oxygen
> > > > use.  This depends on the particular horse and the speed which you are
> > > > comparing.  Seems like in Jerald's example, the horse was moving faster
> > > > than the "optimal" point for his trot, which increased his heart rate
> > > > compared to the next step up, which was the canter.  Since the canter
> > > > had a lower heart rate at the same speed, this speed was better suited
> > > > for this gait (in terms of oxygen needs).  Horses, when left to their
> > > > own devices, will automatically select the optimal gait for a particular
> > > > speed --- it's just more comfortable for them.  But, humans ask them to
> > > > collect a canter to a very slow speed, or preform an extended trot while
> > > > showing, etc. where both are inefficient uses of oxygen for the horse.
> > > > But, you usually won't find this occurring often with endurance horses
> > > > for a long period of time ;-)
> > > >
> > > > Regarding forces applied by both gaits:
> > > >
> > > > The trot and the canter do not have a *huge* difference in the overall
> > > > amount of force, but what is interesting is how individual legs receive
> > > > this force.  Since the trot is *just about* symmetrical (two legs
> > > > contact the ground at once, with just a split second difference), the
> > > > horse does not experience a huge force "spike" when the initial hoof
> > > > hits the ground. The second hoof takes up a good portion of that force
> > > > as soon as it hits as well.
> > > >
> > > > The canter, on the other hand, does have an inital "spike" when the
> > > > horse moves from suspension (in the air) to when the hind hoof hits the
> > > > ground.  The timing between the first and second hoof contacting the
> > > > ground is greater.  Also, measurements have shown that while the
> > > > non-lead foreleg of the cantering horse recieves more force compared to
> > > > the trot, the lead foreleg actually sees a reduction of about 20%.
> > > >
> > > > The gallop is a whole different story, and can generate a whole lot of
> > > > force --- I'll stay out of that one since it usually is not the choice
> > > > of gait for endurance riders :)
> > > >
> > > > If anyone needs the research references, just let me know.  Hope it
> > > > helps!
> > > >
> > > > Kim (and the ground-poundin' Lee)
> >
> > --
> > Truman Prevatt
> > Mystic “The Horse from Hell” Storm
> > Rocket a.k.a. Mr. Misty
> > Jordy a.k.a. Bridger (when he is good)
> > Danson Flame - hey dad I'm well now and ready to go!
> >
> > Brooksville, FL

-- 
Truman Prevatt
Mystic “The Horse from Hell” Storm
Rocket a.k.a. Mr. Misty
Jordy a.k.a. Bridger (when he is good)
Danson Flame - hey dad I'm well now and ready to go!

Brooksville, FL