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[RC] Heart monitor/rate question - Dawn Simas

I've been riding endurance for over 20 years and just got my first heart rate monitor.  :)  (thank you Steve Elliott!)  It is really sort of fascinating to watch it as I ride.  It's a Polar monitor, the very basic model.  Just shows the rate on a watch and a blinking heart symbol to each beat.  Amigo's resting HR is 20-30.  (he's a QH)  His "jog" trot (6mph) is 45-60 range.  Climbing a hill or easy canter will get it over 100.  Trotting up Wendell's training hill got it to 180.  Dropped to 55 right away at the top.  :) 

My concern and question:  Today I looked at the little blinking symbol as he was walking.  The heart rate # was 55, but it jumped to 95 suddenly and back down.  Amigo wasn't doing anything but stolling along.  Then I noticed the blinking symbol would race sometimes.  Beat...beat...beat...then suddenly 3 rapid beats, 2 rapid beats, then rythmic again.   The horse wasn't batting an eyelash at anything that correlated to it.

Is this an irregular heartbeat?  Scared me.  I got off and took a real pulse the old fashioned way and it was steady and regular, and in sync with the monitor.  But when riding, I noticed the racing beats now and then.  May have always been this way, but it is so inconsistent that it doesn't always show on the # readout, but I see it in the blinking symbol.

Only thing I could think of was pain, but he was a happy camper, walking along, snitching grass, ears up, happy to do any gait I asked for.  Did a full tack check, back manipulation, leg stretches when I got back and he seemed comfortable everywhere... 

Could it be the monitor?  Or a "normal" irregular heartbeat that is nothing to worry about?  Or should I call the vet...

Dawn