Tag Archives: working horses

What Not to say to your Coach

 

PUPIL: Can you ride my horse for me next week? There is a cold front coming and I don’t like getting out of bed in the early morning when it’s very cold.

COACH: Sure, I don’t feel the cold at all and embrace sitting on a horse that’s greatest wish is to see me lying on the ground.

PUPIL: I can’t believe that you are going away next weekend, I told you I was going to a show.

COACH: This is the only time that I have ever missed one of your shows and you seem to forget everything that I have ever taught you the minute that you ride into the arena so there is really no point in being there.

PUPIL: I watched the Rio Olympic Eventing on TV and I really don’t think the track looked very big, I could definitely have done some of the jumps.

COACH: Considering that you refuse to trot over a small branch that has fallen across the bridle trail, I think there is more chance of hell freezing over.

PUPIL: So I saw that Baron Von Sprinkaulhasen ( a top coach from Europe ) is out here coaching next month, I have booked 6 lessons with him and will not be able to have any lessons with you next month as money is going to be tight.

COACH: Fantastic news, I have never heard of the person and only because they have a name that sounds vaguely European are you booking so many lessons with them.

PUPIL: During my clinic with Baron Von Sprinkaulhasen last month he showed me a video of a stallion that he has been competing on the European circuit. It has Olympic bloodlines and he really feels that it is the perfect horse for me. Can you ride my horse next week while I go overseas to try the stallion ?

COACH: No problem at all but please can you settle your account with me that has now been outstanding for three months.

PUPIL: I am exhausted after all the practice we have been putting in for the Derby.

COACH: The Grooms Handler class does not count as riding at the Derby.

PUPIL: I know that you are in hospital having reconstructive surgery on your nose but I really need a lesson tomorrow morning.

COACH: No problem, just give me a few hours to get over the aesthetic.

PUPIL: Baron Von Sprinkaulhasen thinks that I should be in a light seat when I am cantering.

COACH: Considering that your horse runs away with you on a regular basis, I think you are asking for trouble.

PUPIL: I could not be happier about winning that class.

COACH: You were the only one in the class.

PUPIL: I have a cash flow problem this month so I can’t pay you but will try next month.

COACH: I suppose the helicopter that you arrived in for the lesson is your way of cutting costs?

PUPIL: You are so lucky to work outdoors with animals, it must be so rewarding.

COACH: Yes, being outdoors in all weather and never knowing what sort of salary one is going to earn is certainly a rewarding experience.

PUPIL: Can you ride my horse for me on Saturday morning, I like to have a lie in during the weekend because I have to get up early during the week to get to the stables by 8 am.

COACH: It would be such a pleasure, who needs a lie in? Especially when your 8am lesson is my third one of the morning.

PUPIL: I did not recognise you without a hat on, you look so different!

COACH: Yes, underneath the hat and sunglasses lurks a normal person that is not always covered in dust and suffering from sinusitis.

PUPIL: I have decided to move yards at the end of the month, the new yard has a horse walker, indoor arena and a spa. It is R1750 more expensive than where I am now but I think it’s worth it, and by the way they do not allow outside coaches so I am going to have lessons with the in-house coach there, I am sure you understand don’t you ?

COACH:  I have just put 5 years of my life getting you and your horse to jump an 80 cm track and am actually quite fond of the horse but it’s really no problem at all.

PUPIL: How do I get my horse to prance on the spot, you know when it sort of goes up and down? Like at the Olympics.

COACH: Considering you can barely trot a 20m circle with your horse in a frame, I can safely say we are light years away from teaching it to piaffe.

PUPIL: My horse is so talented and loves me so much, I have not ridden for two weeks and look at how well he is going.

COACH: Yes, it is all down to the horse loving you and me riding it for two solid weeks (while you were in Europe trying horses) has nothing to do with its way of going at all.

PUPIL: Do I have my spurs on the right way round?

COACH: Yes, and you would not need spurs if you actually started to use your leg a bit.

PUPIL: I just feel that I should look at some horses overseas, we have nothing in this country that is really good enough to go to the top.

COACH: And you feel that you are capable of riding a horse that is considered world class?

PUPIL: Guess what? I went to an auction this weekend and bought the most amazing horse.

COACH: Great news, that horse was being ridden at the auction by one of the best riders around and even he was battling a bit with it. The reason you only paid R150 000 is because it has a reputation longer than my arm and is known at home by the grooms as MUGABE because it destroys everything in its path. I will look forward to riding it for you after is face plants you into a fence.

PUPIL: Thank you so much for all that you do for my horse and I, I don’t know where I would be without you.

COACH: It is such a pleasure, I do this job because I love it and every so often I meet someone who really appreciates and values my opinion.

 

Equine Heart Rate Monitor~ René van Son

A fit horse runs faster, jumps the last obstacles and has more power and stamina in a dressage test. But how to measure its fitness and progress?

 Instead of only observing a horse and guesstimating its condition, vets, trainers and owners can accurately measure the fitness status of the animal. By using a heart rate monitor and GPS, the measured heart rate (INPUT) and speed (OUTPUT) is displayed and registered. It gives you a tool to correctly determine the fitness of a horse and detect illnesses/injuries at an early stage.

Pacer EQ

Pacer EQ

 

Technology

Instruct Audio developed the Pacer EQ, a tool based on an existing Polar product that can measure the equine maximum heart rate. The Pacer EQ uses a leather girth-sleeve (proudly made in SA) with heart rate sensors and a Bluetooth transmitter sending the signal to the Polar watch. It allows you to read live heart rate and speed during exercise (riding, lunging). The watch stores the information, which can be analysed on a cell phone app on the spot and with a web service on a computer. The rider/trainer/vet can also use the watch for personal training by adding a chest strap; the watch and transmitter are already in the package.

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Polar Girth

 

Peak performance

When a Thoroughbred horse is in rest, its heart rate is between 28 and 36 beats per minute. Per minute 35 litres of oxygen-rich blood flows from heart to muscles. This rate can go up to 225-240 beats per minute at maximum exercise. The cardiac output will then be over 200 litres per minute!

screenshot-training-turf-2

 

A tired horse will lose his action and be prone to tendon, joint and ligament strain. When any horse’s heart rate exceeds 200 beats per minute and approaches peak heart rate, the horse will fatigue within 10 seconds. No matter how much it is pushed, the horse cannot give any more. You can feel the effect of a cut-off blood supply and high lactate on your own body when you sprint 150 metres.

Recovery time

The goal of fitness training is to maximise the time the heart will supply oxygen to the horse’s body, postpone the saturation of the blood with lactate and extend the duration of peak performance. The result is better stamina, higher power, and more speed.

The best method of measuring the fitness of a horse is by looking at the recovery time. The data from the Pacer EQ show you the time it takes for the heart rate to go down from 120 to 80 beats per minute. The shorter the recovery time, the fitter the horse.

Tailored training

Heart rate monitoring allows you to train your horse specifically for stamina, power bursts or speed. The basis for quick improvement of overall fitness is interval training. To get a reasonable fit recreational horse to a competition level of fitness could take three months of training. This means that you have to plan 12 months ahead taking training periods, rest periods and major shows into account. For optimal fitness, you need three things: a sound horse, a HRM/GPS fitness monitoring system, and self-discipline to consistently measure and analyse fitness data.

To set up a training plan first consult your vet about:

  • the readiness of the horse for demanding training and;
  • if he or she can develop a training plan or has sources to use (books, internet, etc).

 

There are many equestrian websites advising on useful training programs. Before doing anything, remember that you and your vet know you horse best.

 

For further information about equine HRM and free articles, please contact René van Son of Instruct Audio on 072 578 5241 or rene@instructaudio.co.za. www.instructaudio.co.za

 

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