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Home Page > Our Products > The Girth Heart Monitor > Girth Heart Monitor for Eventers

Girth Heart Monitor for Eventers

Heart rates in Eventers

Careful monitoring of heart rates will help you to assess the horse's fitness by giving you an indication of just how hard he is working and how quickly he is recovering from that work Every horse is slightly different in its training needs and therefore requires an individual program However, the rule of thumb for heart rate is:

- Working at less than 160 beats per min keeps the respiratory system in the aerobic range. This means blood is able to supply the cells (especially muscle cells) with oxygen to burn food for energy.

- Greater than 160 bpm represents the start of the anaerobic threshold. The anaerobic system will "kick in" when the aerobic system can no longer provide enough oxygen when both systems work together. It is very important to do a certain amount of work within the anaerobic threshold so that the horse can become conditioned to the lactic acid build up and be able to remove it more effectively. If not then it will limit the amount of time work at anaerobic speeds can be done before fatigue sets in.

Therefore training in the anaerobic range to increase the efficiency of the cardiovascular system delays the lactic acid onset. The aerobic system also assists recovery by breaking down the lactates produced by anaerobic activity, which is why the cool down process after galloping is so important as is a trot followed by a long walk after the cross-country in competition.

It is therefore very important that a certain amount of exercise is done within both the aerobic and the anaerobic threshold before your horse takes part in an event.

Measuring heart rates:

Every horse is different but some average heart rates using a girth heart rate monitor and on a reasonably fit horse are as follows:

Normal at rest approx

34 – 42 bpm

Saddled up

48- 60 bpm

Walk

60 -70 bpm

Trot

70 - 85 bpm

Trot uphill

90 – 120

Canter @ 500 m/min

120 –140

Gallop @ 600 m/min

140 –230 bpm

When doing Intervals, the horse should recover to 80 bpm before setting off again. This recovery should take around 3 mins. If the heart rate does not go below 100 bpm after 3 mins your program is too hard or the horse is not recovering as it is unfit. You should not set off again until it is around 80 bpm. If the heart rate is very low and is down to 60 bpm after 3 mins work your program is not tough enough or your horse is already extremely fit.

The Girth heart Monitor

An absolute must have for the event rider who wants to improve the fitness of their horse.This girth is made with the softest material for maximum comfort. It is extra wide (4") so that it does not squeeze the heart and does not get in the way of the pectoral muscles. It has a removable backing that can easily be washed. The sensors of the heart monitor are set in the girth and are unnoticed by horse and rider. The monitor will tell you the maximum beats per minute, the minumum, the average, and the work time. Most importantly you will know the recovery rate and whether your horse is ready for that big event. If you also want to know the speed and distance covered then the Equine Fitness Elite HM is the one for you on http://www.equinefitness.co.uk/gps--speed--distance-and-digital-heart-monitor-c20.html

International Patent No - 000321
GB Patent No. - 0601890.7/0625684.6

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