Cruise and recover

A few people lately have asked me how I use the heart rate monitor on my horse.

I have found it to be a useful training tool to get to know your horse. I use it a lot at the beginning of the season, so I have another source of info to know how fit my horse is after having the winter off.

However, it is just a tool. Sometimes it gives wonky readings. Sometimes it will make you worry when there is nothing to worry about.  So this is why I don't usually use it in competition. Too much information! I would rather just enjoy the ride.

My goal today was to do steady trotting at about 8 mph or 13 km/h for about an hour and get some readings. We did not do any cantering -  only a bit of walk to warm up and a bit more to cool down.  This ride happened about an hour after our group lesson in the sand ring, so it was a bit like riding a loop, having a hold and riding again.

Carousel group lesson by nancyzed at Garmin Connect - Details

Luba trots effortlessly at about 8-9 mph with a heart rate of between 110 and 120. This is what I call her cruise control. She could go all day long at this speed. As you learn to rate your horse, your heart rate monitor will help you to figure out your horse's cruise control at trot and eventually at canter. Every horse is different.

You can also figure this out by just riding and being aware of that sweet spot when you and your horse are in the zone and everything is smooth and easy and you could go all day long.

But most importantly, a heart rate monitor lets you know how quickly your horse recovers.  You can also do this with a stethoscope, but unless you are incredibly flexible, you would have to dismount ;)

Luba was on cruise control today, riding up an down the lane way in the drizzling rain. We stopped after about a half an hour to help Charlotte untack Sera, and her heart rate fell to 64 in under a minute. We continued on for another half an hour and when we stopped, she recovered to 64 in less than a minute. This is good.

So cardiovascularly, this was not a hard ride for her.  Neither was the hour-long ride in the sand ring. But it is all important stuff early in the season. Make sure her brain, feet and legs are just as ready to go as her heart and lungs.  The cardio fitness is relatively easy to put on your horse. The soft tissue between the ears and toughening up the feet and legs takes more time.

Steady trot, steady drizzle by nancyzed at Garmin Connect - Details

And here are some random spring pictures from cool down on the lane way...

budding leaves

pussy willows

fiddleheads