Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] A good working trot? - Truman Prevatt

On the cheaper GPS units (by cheaper I mean something under 500 bucks) can be fairly inaccurate on speed at the low end. Most are okay from 30 mph up but down on the 0 to 15 or 20 they can be way off.

There are a couple of reasons for this but basically speed is estimated using the physical phenomenon known as Doppler shift. That is the frequency of a signal will shift according to the speed at which it is approached. The higher the speed the greater the shift. The frequency off of each space craft is measured and from the difference the speed is calculated. There is a limit on the accuracy you can measure the frequency based on a lot of things. Since the lower the speed the smaller the doppler shift there is much more error (percent wise) at low speeds than high speeds.

Might want to test your unit in your car first to calibrate it.

Trotting the same speed over a few miles in the open and looking at average speed would be a much more accurate answer.  Better yet set up a mile course and trot it using a stop watch ( 4 minutes = 15 mph, 5 minutes = 12 mph, 6 min = 10 mph, 8 minutes = 7.5 mph, etc) . Then compare that calibrated speed with your GPS.

Truman



Karen wrote:
 Does
anyone know what kind of
working trot speed top endurance horses have? 15 mph?
17? 
Kristi iluvdez at yahoo dot com    

Kristi -- I've ridden with some of the best multiday horses and they trot at 14 to 14.5 mph all day long.

I've recorded my horses trotting at over 17 mph, but I would NEVER allow them to go that fast on a ride or for any length of time (only long enough to get the reading on the GPS to see <G>).  Typically I like to keep it at 10 mph or under (except for Rocky, he usually does go better at 14 or 14.5).  I feel that most horses have injuries and lameness issues because they are allowed to trot too fast, or else are not rated at a speed that works for them.  A difference of only 1 or 2 mph is so slight and difficult to tell apart and that is all that it takes sometimes.  This is the one thing that I find is the most difficult to accomplish (pacing at the correct rate of speed for each horse).  They don't always agree with me--I know just because they can, it doesn't mean they should!!

Karen
in NV

Replies
[RC] A good working trot?, Karen