----- Original Message -----
From: Deanna German
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2002 10:08 AM
To: hwb67@xxxxxxx; Ridecamp
Subject: [RC] Saga of the Heart Monitor
Howard,
I dunno if I'd get all that worked up about the wild fluctuations. Isn't it the recovery that is the indication of fitness? Maybe a vet would tell you something different, that Dance Line's wild fluctuations are an indication of injury or disease. If not, why not ride since you obviously enjoy him so much? Does he enjoy the trail? If you both enjoy it, why not keep on riding?
I did pulses for a ride last weekend that had one or two ASB crosses and one pure ASB and my mare is 1/8 ASB and I know my mare's dam and her full brother (both 1/4 ASB). The one thing they all seem to have in common is that they get a little more "jazzed" than some other breeds might. When I put the heart monitor on the pure ASB, I doubted that the little bit high pulse on her was due to a lack of fitness or pain. She was just so excited. After she calmed down, the pulse dropped like a stone. She finished the 50
in elegant style and looked great, just as jazzed at the final trot out as she was at every other vet check. (I should mention that the rider took about 9 or 10 hours to finish.)
Deanna
-----
Deanna:
Oh, I truly believe Dance is fit, very fit, or was when I had him in endurance shape. But, what worries me is, if his high heart rate is accurate, and I'm not done verifying that it is, then he was in an anaerobic status while going down that trail for a lot longer than he should have been. And, that's my fear.
One of the problems I had with Dance, during his short lived endurance career, was keeping weight on him. And, trust me, I fed him, wormed him and did everything I could to keep it on him safely, especially after his crash at that one ride. I felt that back then, and still feel today, lack of weight was one of our problems that contributed to his crashing. He had that greyhound look to him. He doesn't look that way now. He's an Adonis to look at!
I haven't given up on him, not at all. But, with the heart monitor I feel much better about the whole thing, and if he does enter a ride again it will be a LD and I'll have that monitor on him.
Make no mistake, he is an incredible horse and he loves to be in front. When we train at home, Dance always sets a good pace, and he leads the way. I think it's because of him that my Paint has this incredible extended trot. He taught it to her when she was very young, in our pasture. I'll keep ya'll updated. Like I said, for newbies, this might be the one purchase that will let them know exactly what is going on. If you're like me, and worry about what is going on with that incredible heart that horses do have, the heart monitor might save you some grey hairs.
cya,
Howard
---------------------------
Howard wrote:
....It told me that Dance Line, my beloved 17 hand American Saddlebred, has
the most rapidly fluctuating heart beat of any other animal on the
planet and has hit numbers like 168 just while warming his butt up, in the
trot, around the arena. If I would have known this two years ago, I would
never have done those 50 mile endurance rides on him. Ever. I'm afraid my
buddy's endurance days are over; I doubt if I'll go back to doing even a LD
ride on him. Those numbers are thru the roof!
.... No wonder he was so erratic when I went thru a vet check, even the pre
ride check. He sees a fly, his heart rate rises faster than Spider Man
climbing a tall building. And the rate seems to come down just as fast as
it went up.
