re: newbie, pulse higher at canter

[Teresa Van Hove <vanhove@ucar.edu>]

Anna,

Ruling out double count on your HRM when walking has already
been suggested; and the fact that horses can canter with less
work than trotting at about same speed.

On the easyboots question itself - you said your horse had 
some footsoreness, and was rested.  If there is still soreness
in his heel bulbs then wearing easyboots could be
causing him pain, from the heel strap digging into his
bulbs; especially if you are pulling the straps up too
high.   Karen Chaton posted a story once, about foaming easy
boots on w/o using a heel strap and perhaps she has pictures
and details of that set-up along with her general easyboot pics.

You should at minimum make sure that you are not pulling
your easyboot heel straps too high and hitting soft
tissue rather than hard hoof; perhaps you might have better
luck with old mac hoof boots or swiss hoof boots, 
maybe folks that have used those boots will comment
on whether they are less likely to dig into the 
heel bulb.  Or perhaps you can return to shoeing
him? sounds like you pulled shoes for winter, not
because they were a problem.  Some horses (I own
one) just don't do well w/o shoes becuase they 
don't grow a nice cupped hoof so w/o shoes they
are pounding too much on their soles. 

good luck,
Teresa