EXPLORE OUR  BLOG 

Leverage your expertise with our blog articles

8 reasons to use a heart rate monitor

Physiology, Sports & Data

Home 9 Physiology 9 8 reasons to use a heart rate monitor

Horses heart rate monitors are a great ally in sports training because it allows the heart rate to be collected to the nearest second. In all sports, it has become an essential tool in the performance management of top-level sportsmen and women, and is particularly relevant to use in the training routine of a racehorse.

Here are 8 good reasons why it is particularly useful for racehorses’ training and monitoring.

1.    Measure the maximum heart rate 

The first reason to use a heart rate monitor is its ability to measure a horse’s maximum heart rate during exercise. This is the maximum number of beats per minute that a horse can reach during exercise. It is unique to each horse, decreases slightly with age but does not change with training and is not a performance indicator.

Nevertheless, it allows a better understanding of a horse’s work, to understand his effort and to make it work on heart rate ranges that are specific to him.

Knowing the maximum heart rate makes it possible to evaluate the difficulty of the work required by observing the percentage of the maximum heart rate at which the horse has worked. It is possible to define 4 main work zones corresponding to 4 levels of intensity. Training a horse in a particular zone will have a different physiological effect.

2.    Quantify the training intensity thanks to heart rate evolution throughout the effort  

The heart rate measured by the heart rate monitor is of particular interest to trainers who wish to objectively assess the effort their horses put into training. Reading back cardio data during training provides an objective help to understand how and when the required effort has been taken up. What was the most difficult moment? How efficiently did the energy metabolism get going?

The heart rate monitor provides a reliable measure of the strain on the horse’s energy metabolism, as the measured heart rate (HR) assesses the suitability of the horse’s cardiovascular system for the intensity of a workload during exercise.

3.    Measure recovery

Using a heart rate monitor offers the possibility to characterize the recovery of a horse by monitoring the heart rate throughout an exercise and especially at the end of it.

 

Recovery is one of the main indicators of a horse’s fitness: the better a horse’s recovery, the better his fitness. Analysed in parallel with the intensity of the work required, a horse’s fitness is a good way of confirming whether a horse is ready to run. There are 4 heart rate zones to be analysed using a heart rate monitor to characterise the recovery of racehorses :

  • The work zone: this zone allows to quantify the level of heart rate reached during the effort. The difficulty of a workout can be assessed by observing what percentage of the horse’s HR Max has worked.
  • The deceleration zone at the end of work: the speed decreases significantly but the heart rate remains high. This zone indicates the intensity of the exercise.
  • The zone of rapid decrease in heart rate: the speed is considerably reduced and the heart rate decreases greatly. This zone qualifies the rapid recovery, capacity of recovery immediately after the effort: the aim here is for the horse to return very quickly to very low levels.
  • The zone of slow heart rate decrease: the speed is considerably reduced and the heart rate decreases slowly. This zone qualifies the slow recovery, and gives indications on fitness: the closer the heart rate reached the initial heart rate, the better the slow recovery.

 

4.   Find the balance between under-training and overtraining 

The use of a heart rate monitor provides objective figures to support workload assessment. By having an objective view of the workload demanded of each horse it is possible to optimise performance by reaching a training intensity in the right balance between over and under training.

Under training is revealed by a heart rate monitor: the horse does not or hardly ever comes to work in areas of maximum heart rate. While under training can not only lead to poor performance in relation to the horse’s quality, it also represents a risk of injury during unusual maximum efforts, e.g. during a race.

Overtraining is characterised by very poor or deteriorating recovery levels. In veterinary analysis, the electrocardiogram (ECG) can show arrhythmias that are indicative of overtraining. Overtraining presents a high risk of injury to the horse if he works beyond his limits.

5.    Individualise the training  

6.    Evaluate the fitness 

Longitudinal monitoring of a horse’s heart rate allows individual training. For each horse, a heart rate monitor allows to build a table of reference data: we can then have in mind for each horse the max HR, the resting HR, the usual recovery levels according to the work. From this table, each training session is an opportunity to analyse the evolution of the recovery parameters in order to lighten or on the contrary increase the workload.

Individualising the workload is thus possible and forming lots according to the workload required by each horse can be a solution for individualising training.

 

Before the race, make sure that the horse’s progress is visible and that he has reached a sufficient level to have a good chance in the race. This work is greatly facilitated by EQUIMETRE as it allows you to keep a logbook of the horse’s data at work over time. This data is particularly useful for 2 year olds because it allows them to know from the start their physical condition, their level of recovery, and thus to see what is already positive in them or what needs to be improved quickly.

After the race, a heart rate monitor ensures that the horse’s condition has not deteriorated and that he has tolerated effort, transport and pressure well. It should be noted that heart rate is not the only parameter to be considered: to see the horse’s evolution over time, heart rate is at the heart of a whole set of parameters.

 

7. Detect heart and respiratory pathologies 

A sudden and unexplained increase in HR can be a sign of pain, stress, fear. HR spikes or unusual HR in the warm-up can be warning signs of disease.

An elevated heart rate during the warm-up can be a sign of pain. The horse may be in pain somewhere, and this is reflected in an increased heart rate even though the intensity of the effort is not high.

Cardiac arrhythmias cause performance impairment and affect recovery. It is possible to look at the heart rate (HR) with EQUIMETRE to highlight abnormal HR and to have the electrocardiogram data collected by EQUIMETRE reviewed by your veterinarian to see if the horse has shown signs of abnormalities. Pulmonary haemorrhages will be noticed if the horse is bleeding from the nose, or if his heart rate has a longer recovery time after exercise because he is in deficit of oxygen. In this case, it is necessary to look if there is a problem with the lungs.

A horse with pain, tendinitis or bone-related pain, for example, may have an alteration in the way he moves, so the parameters of pace and stride amplitude will change with increased heart rate. By combining all the parameters that EQUIMETRE allows to measure, it is possible to see what is going on with the horse: is it a lack of quality? Is it an underlying health problem?

Emmanuelle Van Erck

Veterinarian specialised in equine sport medicine, ESMP

8. Easily share exercising ECGs with your veterinarian 

Arioneo electrodes, a major technological development, can overcome three obstacles to the collection of the heart signal: the horse’s hair, the thickness of his skin, and the intense vibrations during exercise. Equimetre’s electrodes are made from a unique fusion of materials specially designed for the equine athlete. They are immersed in a foam that allows the horse’s perspiration to be absorbed, while ensuring good conduction of the heart signal by softening the contact with the horse’s skin to avoid injury. These electrodes are internationally patented.

The EQUIMETRE heart rate monitor automatically records the complete ECG for all monitored training sessions, even at full speed. This collection of ECGs is valuable for veterinarians as it can help them to detect cardiorespiratory pathologies in race horses, including arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillations. In her thesis “Etiology of sudden death in horses”, Nathalie CADEC explains: “ECG monitoring of cardiac activity during physical exercise (racing) in horses suspected of atrial fibrillation has made it possible to highlight the time of onset of atrial fibrillation.” The veterinarian can remotely access the ECGs from any training of his choice, including training prior to signs of disease, for comparison.

gif of an ecg in real time live

Key words: racehorse heart rate, follow-up tool, maximum heart rate, effort intensity, racehorse heart rate evolution, assess racehorse training, racehorse energy metabolism, racehorse recovery, under training and over training, longitudinal monitoring, 2 years olds, state of fitness, heart and respiratory pathologies, cardiac arrythmias, racehorse electrocardiogram, ECG

What influence do age and training have on Thoroughbreds?

Data has been increasingly important in the world of sports in recent years. It affects every discipline, including horse racing. As a result, a group of researchers asked the following question: what are the impacts of age and training on Thoroughbreds?

What is the influence of training on a racehorse’s cardiovascular system?

The horse’s cardiovascular system allows good blood circulation and ensures oxygen transport. How does the horse improve it?

Thermoregulation in horses: how do they regulate their body heat?

Thermoregulation in horses is the set of mechanisms that allow them to maintain a desired temperature. How does it work?

How to analyse the recovery of an eventing horse?

In eventing horses, recovery is an important factor to consider. It provides a detailed indicator of the horse’s fitness at any one time, but it also tracks his evolution to assess if the training is effective and suitable for him.

How to prevent myositis in horses thanks to data?

In this article, we share the story of Arion, whose training data analysis helped prevent myositis.

Exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses

Exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses, also known as tying-up, Monday disease or myositis, is defined as a painful muscle disease induced by exercise.

How can data improve your experience as a racehorse owner?

Owning a racehorse is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seeing your horse run under your colors on a racecourse is priceless. This is an exciting and emotional time! With the emergence of data in the equine sector, this experience has become even more immersive. As a racehorse owner, data allows you to follow your horses’ careers and get involved in their training more closely.

Muscular physiology in the athletic horse

Muscular physiology in the horse athlete is an important factor to study when interested in his training. Indeed, the muscles participate in various functions essential to the horse’s life (breathing, digestion…) and to its adaptation to the surrounding environment. The muscles are part of the different components that contribute to the performance of the horse athlete as they fulfill locomotion purposes: a horse that is ideally muscled will have a better chance of winning a race.

4 questions to analyze your racehorses’ fitness

With four questions frequently asked by trainers, this article presents the essential parameters to collect in order to evaluate your horses’ fitness easily.

Arioneo & StableWizard: partnership for equine welfare

French company Arioneo and Australian company StableWizard, both pioneers in the field of racehorse performance, welfare and health, are partnering to bring cutting-edge technology solutions to the global racehorse training industry.

Equimetre: how does this black device work?

What is the secret of this black device that can measure data on your racehorses to calculate over 300 parameters dedicated to health and performance management? Find out all you need to know about the components of the equimetre sensor.

Influence of equipment on racehorses’ performance

The influence of racehorses’ equipment on their performance may seem secondary. However, some studies show the opposite.

Racehorse VS running athlete: what role does data play in training?

Since 2007, data has spread in the high-level sports industry. So why shouldn’t the horse racing sector use data into its daily life?

4 reasons to analyze VO2Max in racehorse training

VO2Max is a key paramater to measure the intensity of a horse’s effort. It can be used to establish a race strategy, calculate the intensity of a training or to follow a racehorse’s performances over time.

Will racehorse genetics studies revolutionize the horse racing industry?

Discover studies and works realized up to this day on racehorse genetics. With our constantly improving knowledge of the subject, it might shape tomorrow’s horse racing industry.

Creating a Sports Science unit within a racing stable | Ciaron Maher Racing & Arioneo Webinar

Expectations, reality and results in creating a Sports Science unit in a racing stable. Discover Ciaron Maher Racing’s experience with EQUIMETRE and Arioneo.

Why quantify the racehorse’s training workload?

Discover why quantifying the racehorse training workload has become necessary nowadays: measure the progress, collect data, complete your feeling…

V200 and V4 | Understanding the heart rate zones of the racehorse

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs _builder_version="4.16" _module_preset="default"...

6 key elements to analyze your racehorses’ heart rate

Discover 6 key elements to analyze your racehorses’ heart rate data.

The Lir Jet – A sporting and technological success

The Lir Jet, his rider Oisin Murphy and his trainer Michael Bell won the 2020 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and will contest the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

DATA & RUGBY: Interview of Thomas LOMBARD

This week, Arioneo had the opportunity to meet Thomas LOMBARD, General Manager of the Stade Français Rugby to discuss the arrival of data in the world of rugby and the improvements it has brought to this sport.

ECG of the athletic horse

The electrocardiogram (known as ECG) is a veterinary tool that records the electrical activity of the heart. It allows to investigate and monitor the heart function of the horse by displaying the electrical activity of the heart.

WATCH THE WEBINAR AND ANALYSE UNDERPERFORMANCE THROUGH DATA

Join us and discover how to analyse underperformance by using data with Dr Emmanuelle Van Erck.

Finding the right balance between under-training and overtraining

The horse’s team encounter a major issue in the training of racehorses: how to find the balance between overtraining and under-training?

EQUIMETRE, a scientifically validated tool

After more than a year of work, we are proud to be able to bring scientifically validated, medically accurate technology to our veterinary clients.

EQUIMETRE SENSOR HEART RATE GPS
EQUIMETRE VET ECG sensor

Toutes les catégories

Speed
Locomotion
Cardio
Vet
Training
Racing
Telemedicine
Data & Sport
Pathologies