June 29, 2009

Charting my course


I spent some time one evening creating a crude charting system so I could have a record of pulse recovery over certain distances, recording the Air Temperature, Humidity, Trail Conditions, Distance, Date, Ride Time, Average speed, and heart rate recovery at 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes and/or 30 minutes post ride. The charting method will be simple: at each time interval take the pulse and put a "dot" next to the rate on that vertical axis of the chart. After you have done this, just connect the dots with straight lines.

What will this crude little chart tell me?

If I use it over the same course, same distance I feel that it can tell me how my horse is doing from a conditioning standpoint by referencing if the pulse is dropping more quickly than on prior rides. By comparing ambient temperature and humidity vs. the drop, it will tell me how weather effects heart rate. Comparison of trail conditions vs. pulse recovery will tell me how terrain effects her overall recovery. It will also give me comparisons of recoveries covering the same course at different speeds. The idea being to find where her sweet spot is given various ride scenerios. Definitely not rocket science, but a handy little evaluation tool of how my horse is doing, with a primary goal of tracking her recovery speed given various scenerios. As condition improves, likewise recovery should be faster, if other factors remain the same.

This will cost me exactly .99 cents for a clip board, a few cents for a piece of graph paper, and whatever the cost is for some copies. The data could be entered easily enough into an excel program and charts could be printed on the various data entered if a person wanted a more high tech read out, but I think this simple method will tell me all the things I want to know. On that back side the page is blank which leaves me room to enter notes about the ride, and her reactions to other stressors like activity and excitement in the day parking area, did she eat and drink, if so what did she eat, what did she refuse.

1 comment:

  1. You are truely a women after my own heart! Some might say we over analyze, but I'm too busy having fun and connecting the dots and comparing various parameters to care! LOL.

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