Carol,
You wrote:
> I would like some opinions on whether you should walk or stand and rest your
> horse after you have RUN up a long hill and your horse is breathing hard, is
> sweaty (wet) and it is either cold or hot outside. You would be walking down
> hill or flat if you kept going.
We always keep moving unless it is a break for a grazing or water. I
would probably ride on (the horse walks faster than I can). A horse
should be able to recover at a brisk walk, keeps large muscles from
cramping, and they will recover to a breathing pattern that is in synch
w/ there walk. In addition, the horse is still covering ground
towards the finish! Why stand around & fall behind?
Watch a conditioned horse - unless something is wrong, they will
generally breath in time with their gait. I had one horse who was
rather huffy if I changed posting diagonals because it screwed up her
breathing pattern! I would get a dirty look, she'd pant for a few
strides (much like sitting to change diagonals), then she'd breath in
synch w/ the new posting diagonal. She was the most pronounced
synch-breathing horse that I have had. They all do it to some
degree, though.
If my horse has not recovered to near walking-normal on the heart
monitor w/in a few minutes, I KNOW that something is wrong! Near
normal at a walk tends to vary somewaht by individuals - you have to
get to know your horse's baselines.
Also to keep in mind, a horse may breath rapidly after an ascent in
order to cool off. I feel that the heart rate is often a better indicator
of recovery than respiratory rate.
I have no experience w/ the temp probes - any feed back from the high
tech folks on temperature recoveries after a long climb??
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Equestrian Supplies/ Blue Wolf Ranch
Chesapeake, VA
"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"