Re: RC: conditioning

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> Hi everyone,
> I am new to the world of endurance and am in the process of 
> conditioning
> my horse. . Her heart rate > went> upto 214 and did not come down to
198 for about 10 minutes. > huffingand puffing after the 30 minute
trotting climb. 

Sheila, my first reaction was to think your heartmonitor wasn't working
right, then I noticed you said, "A 30 minute trotting climb".  I only
have one place where I can hold a steady climb for that long and I call
it my "heartrate hill"...and even on a horse with tons of experience I
have two breaks where I walk.  If you're just starting your horse I
really don't think you have any business at all running that sort of
heart rate...(actually, I don't think I've ever gotten any horse to stay
above 130 over a minute or so after stopping forward progress) and it
isn't that your horse is so bad, it's that a 30 minute trotting climb is
too much.  Try trotting the flats and walking the hills for now. 
Anything over 150 BPM is anaerobic.  If she's got to build a foundation
it's too soon to be worrying about speed, just start doing some steady
work...and not just 5 times this week while you're inspired, then
skipping 3 weeks.  Maybe ride 3 times a week, every other day and if she
doesn't drop below 64 within 10 minutes of stopping back off.  You won't
feel like you're doing any more than you used to do, unless you try to go
out riding with the people you used to ride with and suddenly they seem
to be so slow!  I'd still double check the connections on the
heartmonitor to be sure the numbers are right...and if it happened to
have been a warm day and she's got a heavy coat that could complicate
things too.

Angie

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