The heart-rate
Definition
The Motion S sensor ❤️ measures the heart rate of your horse.
Heart-rate is the rhythm, in beats per minute, that beats the heart of your horse.
This heart rate (also noted HR), is measured thanks to the two electrodes of the Motion S: one is on the left part of the attachment, against the heart of the horse, the other is placed under the saddle pad, to the left of the horse. It must be clipped to the attachment with the snap. More information on the fixation here: How do I install the Motion S?
Here some reference values for the heart-rate:
- At rest (box): 30-40 bpm
- At walk: 60-80 bpm
- At trot: 80-100 bpm
- At canter (flat): 100-120 bpm
- At canter (CCI4*): 180-220 bpm
- Maximum heart-rate: 240 bpm
In order for the heart signal to be well transmitted to the Motion S, it is strongly recommended to wet these two electrodes (the gray tissue). Also, the more your horse is hairy, the more it will be necessary to wet so that the signal passes well. We only give you accurate signals! This means that we prefer not to calculate the HR (this may happen due to shaking movements at high speed e.g.) rather than give you false values!
Why should I monitor my horse's heart-rate?
The Motion S sensor ❤️ measures the heart rate of your horse.
There are a lot of situation and disciplines where the heart-rate monitoring is very useful:
1. You want to make sure your horse is healthy
As riders we only want the best for our horses. This means that we want them to be happy and in good shape! Use the heart-rate monitoring to adapt the training to your horse! Make sure that your horse works enough but not too much by taking into account its heart-rate values. It is neither good to work 1h over 130 beats per minute (bpm) neither to remain below 100 bpms all the time. If not contraindicated by your vet, you should vary your training to let your horse have some fun and make it work. The most important here is to relate your training to the values. You've done some light work, but your horse's cardio goes through the roof? Your horse might be in any pain or there might be any other underlying health issue. Take a closer look together with your vet.
2. You want to make sure your horse is fit
According to your goals and your discipline you might want to go a step further. You might even have an entire training plan for the next weeks to perfectly prepare your horse for the upcoming competitions. Use the heart-rate monitoring for your daily training, interval training, hacking etc. Your goal: Lower the heart-rate of your horse for the same exercise over time. The lower your horse's heart-rate, the fitter it is!
3. Your horse has heart or respiratory problems
The heart-rate monitor of the Motion S sensor is very precise. It can detect anomalies and display them on the app, making you aware of any underlying heart or respiratory diseases. Again, if the heart-rate goes through the roof during light work, there might be an issue!
