Re: RC: Re: pace in endurance

[David LeBlanc <dleblanc@mindspring.com>]

At 01:16 PM 4/4/00 EDT, Tivers@aol.com wrote:
>Because of terrain and other variables, "pace" might best be determined with 
>heartrate rather than MPH. I was just talking to a ridecamper about a horse 
>whose HR at a given speed was higher at a trot than at a canter. In that 
>case, the pace, in MPH, was not an accurate guage of the energy expenditure 
>and metabolics necessary to keep the horse moving HR was.

On the rides where I have used a heart rate monitor, I've always noticed a
higher HR at a trot than a canter.  However, a horse can show a perfectly
normal heart rate at speed, but still be overworked and not come down at
the vet check.  Mine did exactly that this last weekend (lots of reasons
why snipped - short version is we voluntarily pulled, and she was good to
go the next day).  So you can't judge pace by what the heart rate monitor
is telling you at speed.  There's a lot more to it than that.  This isn't
to say that monitors are bad, but that you shouldn't think they are going
to do more for you than they can.


David LeBlanc
dleblanc@mindspring.com