Saturday, August 29, 2009

HR tracking in Real Time


Finally, the technology is here!-
When I first started showing my services to trainers, the first question was - So I can sit here with a laptop and watch my horses heart rate and gallop speed in real time? Uh, unfortunately the answer was no. But no longer....

Polar has released the Team2 system, which allows you to outfit several horses with HR gear simultaeously, then send them out on the track and watch how they respond on your laptop.

How does this help us?

Most importantly, we can send out a string of horses for similar workouts, even in company, and gauge their fitness levels immediately. In the image above for instance, there is a 'red' horse and a 'blue' one riding side by side.
Every step of the way, the red horse exhibits lower heart rate/exertion levels than the blue - even though to the naked eye they appear to be physiological equals.
Imagine a farm doing this with their 30 yearlings in an exercise wheel, the true racing specimens would literally jump off the page-
(the above pic was from a human case, which explains the low heart rate data, Rutgers University to this date has the only equine version, I should have mine in the next few weeks - I will then FLOOD you guys with examples)

6 comments:

  1. How did you order your team2? Also, we've been using a polar hr, model 800cx3g something or other, for about 7 months. We've had a fairly aggravating problem with signal dropping. We sometimes have to stop and readjust the strap, saddle, etc. Do you have any suggestions that can help us with that problem? Thanks. Great blog by the way.

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  2. The Team2 systems are really only available to the public as a human version - I have a contact at Polar that can adapt them for equines.

    Just let me know if you want to order one and I can make it happen.

    I use the Rs800 also, which strap do you have - the one that goes all the way around the horse or the other one that you put on after the tack?

    Thanks!-

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  3. Our strap goes underneath the tack, but it does not go all the way around. One pad rests just to the side of the withers underneath the left thigh of the rider. The strap goes up and over the back to the other pad which is held in place by the girth somewhere between dead bottom center of the belly and the rider's right ankle if their feet were dangling. Does that make sense at all?

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  4. It does, you have the latest (best) strap, but it sounds like to me you have the pads on backwards.

    The pad that simply rests under the tack should be under the riders right thigh. The other pad that you actually affix to the girth strap with the rubber piece should be near the rider's left foot - where the horses heart actually sits.

    Also, the transmitter should then rest near the left hand of the rider, and the watch and GPS should also both be on that left arm.

    That is the best way to avoid the signal degradation you seem to be having. As with the above setup every piece is able to 'see' each other via line of sight.

    I hope this helps!-

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  5. Indeed. We do have it on backwards then. Will swap it around tomorrow to see how it goes.

    Also, you mentioned New York outlawing hyperbaric stimulus one week prior to a race. Can you provide a link or something? I couldn't find anything.

    Thanks!

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  6. Here is the link to that NYRA story:

    http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/stories/July282009b.shtml

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