If you have not had the experience of using a heart monitor on your horse, I
suggest you might want to try one. Use it all the time and you will know
what is normal and what is not for your horse.
Last weekend a friend of mine and I entered a 30 miler since we hadn't been
riding enough to do a 50. We rode the first 7 miles in a bit over an hour
(totally flat terrain). We were holding back, alternating between a trot and
walk with a small amount of cantering. My friend (riding my horse whom he has
ridden a lot) noticed that his heart monitor was reading higher than usual
and than when we slowed down, the mares pulse did not drop as it usually
does. Everything else looked fine...she wanted to go!!
We got into the vet check (7 miles...last time I complain about a vet check
being too soon)..and she was not recovering. 30 minutes after arrival she
was hovering between 70 and 80...not right!!! So we brought her to the vet
who brought to our attention slightly dark gums. Her heart rate was now 72,
so we did a CRI and when she zoomed up to over 100 we say WHOA and pulled
her. I went on, thinking all would be okay. When I returned (2nd vet check,
same location) she was hooked up to IV's and was a tight as a drum. 5 hours
later we trailered her back to camp. After 5 bags of IV fluid and three
stomach tubing of water and electrolytes, she finally peed. Thank god it was
not dark...we were praying we weren'e dealing with kidney shutdown. By the
next morning, she had been eacting well the entire time (hay) she was still
tight, but all other signs were good so we trailered her home (on Banamine).
8 hours later, she was lostened up 90% and by the next morning she seemed
back to normal. It is now three days later and she is doing fine. If it
were not for us noticing her heart rate and if not for the vet check being
soon into the ride, if if not for the prompt and caring attention of the ride
vets, I may have lost my mare.
I have ridden these rides for more than 20 years and have logged over 6000
miles in competition and had NEVER had even the slightest problem before. I
HAVE pulled horse on occassions when they did not feel right or their heart
rate recovery was not what I felt was normal. But, I have been using on
board heart monitors religiously for at least the last 6 years. They are
well worth the money spent!!
Teddy Lancaster
RUN4BEAR@aol.com