For years, products have been used in the world of endurance riding to keep horses safe during competition. But the same approach can help you keep your horse safe during your weekly or daily rides. By monitoring your horse’s heart rate during exercise, you can listen to what his body is telling you and understand how the ride is affecting him. Read on to find out why monitors are important and to see one of the best horse heart rate monitor on the market.
Communication between horse and rider is essential in any equine sport, especially Eventing. But unlike their human counterparts, equine athletes can’t always tell you how they’re doing. So it’s up to trainers and riders to ensure their horses are fit, injury free and stay in good health for the long competitive season.
A horse heart rate monitor is the most reliable way to tell how effectively your horse is training. It easily and accurately measures the horse’s exertion levels during exercise and monitors resting and recovery heat rates as well. It lets you know what your horse is capable of on any given day under any given condition.
It’s the best way to keep your equine athlete in good health and optimize her abilities in the most efficient way.
Heart rate is the most reliable indicator of your horse’s condition when used before, during, and after exercise. Since the cardiovascular system is responsible for delivering blood to the muscles and removing by-products of metabolism, it is central to the horse’s overall health.
- Heart rate monitors take the guesswork out of whether or not you are putting too much stress on your horse. They help avoid physical wear and tear, inform you of training plateaus, and help tailor programs such as interval training, altitude or swimming.
- Heart rate monitors can monitor emotional states such as excitement, fear or anxiety, and help solve issues in jumping performance.
- Monitors are invaluable for tracking recovery and physical improvements, and changes in therapy.
- Heart rate monitors allow you to track the effects of weather extremes, especially heat, and changing terrain, which quickly trigger increased beats per minute.
- Non-performance horses can also take advantage of a heart rate monitor, as can foals, especially if they are bred to achieve high levels of performance.
Basic equine heart rate parameters
The resting, mature horse has a heart rate between 30 to 40 beats per minute. Maximum heart rates in mature horses appear to be between 220 and 260 beats per minute. The aerobic threshold for a horse is less than 165 beats per minute. To effectively condition a horse for aerobic fitness, the heart rate should be raised and sustained between 100 beats per minute and 165 beats per minute.
The anaerobic threshold for a horse that is building up its tolerance to the stress of exercise is approximately 165 to 185 beats per minute. A horse in good anaerobic condition will have a recovery heart rate of around 100 beats per minute approximately two minutes after aerobic exercise conditioning. The heart rate 10 minutes after exercise should be less than 60 beats per minute.
A horse that is sprinting will have a heart rate of over 190 beats per minute. The heart rate should slow to 120 beats per minute between sprints. If the heart rate does not slow to 130 to 140 beats per minute after two minutes, the horse should be allowed to warm down and should be monitored for signs of continued fatigue.
The Hylofit Hear Rate monitor is an excellent choice and is in fact rated Amazon’s Choice for equine heart rate monitors. It fits horses of all sizes and the nodes do not slip. With great reviews and a great reputation the Hylofit Monitor is a sound choice when adding to all of the tools and skills that we need to keep our horses safe and healthy.
A heart rate monitor is a good investment for heart rate tracking and overall horse health. Look into a heart rate monitor and take your horse knowledge to the next level. Using a heart rate monitor in addition to sound riding practices can keep both rider and horse, healthy for a long, long time.
