Are they a necessity for training for a 50 miler? I have read a little about the Polar brands but I know nothing about them and wondered if any one has used them and what brand and style they liked? Can they be used on husbands too?
I think your two main responses will be Polar and VMax.
I love my Polar, and I think it would be a very good tool to uise to train for ANY distance ride.
I got one used for about $100. If you want one right away, you may have to pay full price. I had to wait and watch until one came for sale used.
If you can get one that goes on your girth and the hand held in the same package, I would recommend it. It is tough to stand close enough to your horse while you are walking in at the end to see where his heart rate is!
Also buy the book GO THE DISTANCE. Has excellent information on conditioning.
I bought an EQB 20 years ago. It is about the size of a cigarette package and has a big bolt readout. It also has high and low alarms that allows you to set them so if you exceed a set limit it warns you and once you drop below a certain value it also warns you. It has a built in stop watch for interval training.
I used it for a while and then got sick of constantly watching it. My horse would cruise along at about 135, well within the 150 maximum for long range cruising.
It is again old and at the time was $501
A question?? Do modern heart rate monitors still use 2 electrodes?? One on the girth and one under the saddle???
Do they still work best when wet??
Are they a necessity for training for a 50 miler?
absolutely not
Can they be used on husbands too
sure… I’d set it up so it delievered the juice not just read stuff. :winkgrin:
they need a wicked emoticon damnit
I think they’re a great addition to any conditioning program especially if you have a horse that doesn’t want to quit.
I’m on the look out for a used one 
In the past I’ve mostly used the Polar brand, but mainly because that’s what the owner of the horse I was riding was using.
I’m in the debate as to how seriously I want to invest in a HRM, and I don’t think I’m to the point that I feel like I need one. However, if/when I do get one, I want a HRM and GPS combo, like the Garmin Forerunner so that I can track speed and distance traveled. There’s a blog written by a gal named April who lives in Tennessee, and she has two blog entries covering how she modified the Garmin Forerunner for use in horses: EnduranceRider Blog
Shadow, it’s my understanding that HRMs still use two leads: one under the saddle and one on the girth. They still work best when wet, either with some electrode gel or water. But it’s been 2-3 years since I’ve used one, so maybe something new has come along?
[QUOTE=ride2endure;4080509]
Shadow, it’s my understanding that HRMs still use two leads: one under the saddle and one on the girth. They still work best when wet, either with some electrode gel or water. But it’s been 2-3 years since I’ve used one, so maybe something new has come along?[/QUOTE]
those leads bug me. I cut into a great saddle pad so the electode could sit in the pocket but the one in the center of the girth just rode as a lump in the girth. While it didn’t seem to cause sores the thought of having a hard lump right next to the skin bothered me.
Using HRM when wet
Okay that is not exactly what I meant to say. I spoke with Polar and they said it still works best when wet. They said to use a little water or the gel. I didn’t know about the 2 leads thing. Lovely. Do I then have to trash a girth/saddle pad?
My older model required you use 2 probes. They are about the size of a quarter in diameter and about 4 or 5 quarters thick. One was to go under the saddle close to the withers and one in the center of the girth. the thoughts of this thick quarter trapped between the saddle next to the skin bothered me so I cut a round hole in the saddle pad to allow a pocket for the electrode to sit into, this was recommended by the company.
It worked great and you could tell when the horse was working hard from the footing, illness or terrain. they work and can become addicting.
If you don’t use electrodes how would they pick up the heart beat.
I’m not sure exactly how the electrodes differ when you buy them from the company versus one of the distance tack stores. The electrodes I’m familiar with are soft and square shaped, and pretty thin. They typically have velcro on one side to adhere to your saddle pad and girth (if you use a smooth girth, they typically come with a little strip of velcro to loop around your girth).
A few years ago my parents bought a Polar HRM for me, but I ended up sending it back - I’m not sure where they bought it, but it was a hard plastic electrode that was thick. I think in most circumstances, the HRMs endurance riders use are typically converted to use these small soft electrodes - I think it’s just a simple switch. But don’t quote me.
I’ve never had a horse bothered by the electrodes, and I think most riders are in the same boat as me - otherwise they wouldn’t be popular. Distance riders are near fanatics when it comes to tack fit and comfort.
There are two leads, one that goes under your saddle and sits flush on the horse’s back and one that goes on the girth on the horse’s side. Most people put the transmitter in a special pouch that goes over the horse’s withers (most distance tack stores offer them) and the wires lead to the electrodes. The reading is transmitted wirelessly to your watch.
But as I said, it’s been 2-3 years since I’ve used one, so there could be new developments. Surely someone else on the forum would know?
NO! You do not. I use mine every time I ride (VMax) and I have NO PROBLEMS with the electrodes or the leads. And my horse is very thin skinned and sensitive. Every little thing bothers her but she does not even notice the on-board HRM.
The lead on the left goes under the pad in the wither pocket area, and the one on the right goes inside the girth. That lead I run up the edge of the saddle pad, and through the ring on the breast collar to hold it there. It works great!
The new electrodes are extremely thin and sit flat. The only thing is that you don’t want to place the one on the left right under the point of your saddle tree. It should sit up into the wither pocket area behind the point of the tree. I ride treelss so that’s not much an issue for me but if you have a tree you have to be a little more cautious with your placing.
I like polarthey seem to be the best.
Are they required - no.
My polar spends most of it’s time in the box.
I dont’ condition with it, and I think I used it on a ride uh…3x maybe over the years.
I’m wierd maybe I dunno. I perfer paying attention to the whole of my horse during training/competition, I feel the HR monitor gives me tunnel vision.
Polars are good
Easy and uncomplicated to use. My electrodes have a plastic ‘watch strap’ to secure them to the girth, and the back one sits comfortably under my sheepskin saddle cloths. The transmitter straps onto the front of the saddle, and I wear the watch which gives me a continuous HR (about 3 secs delay) and a time function.
I found it very useful when I started doing competitive rides and when starting a new horse. I sometimes use it at the beginning of the season when I want to check where we are conditioning-wise.
Once the horse gets warm and sweating the electrode surfaces get wet and give a good read out. The salt could possibly corrode them, so wask after use.
If you don’t want to go the full hog, you can get a handheld HR monitor that you just hold to the horse’s heart region to get a HR. It comes with a watch timer which you can set at the beginning of the ride (saves carrying 2 watches) & carry the monitor in your back pack, and hop off and take a reading whenever you wish. Also good for checking HR before vetting. I use mine all the time.
[quote=rainechyldes;4084021 I feel the HR monitor gives me tunnel vision.
[/quote]
It’s just one more tool meant to help you see the whole picture. They’re not meant to be a sole means of training/conditioning.
Are VMax’s and Polars interchangeable? We lost our Polar belly band and haven’t seen a replacement except in a VMax.
Thanks
[QUOTE=prudence;4120719]
Are VMax’s and Polars interchangeable? We lost our Polar belly band and haven’t seen a replacement except in a VMax.
Thanks[/QUOTE]
I have no idea BUT
This is an important consideration when comparing HR moniters that I have learned from my husband’s experiences via triathlon training. Make sure whatever brand you invest in has replacement parts available and be sure any battery operated parts have REPLACABLE BATTERIES. Nothing like having the battery run down in a chest strap or reciever to find out that, joy, since the battery cannot be replaced, you now need to buy A WHOLE NEW HR MONITER :mad: He got to do this last time… The chest strap, which contains the parts you are referring to as electrodes (plus is a wireless “sender unit”) was a completely sealed thing. You could not open it to change the battery. You could not buy a replacement strap. You had to buy the whole shebang all over. 
Interesting about the electrodes for the horse HR moniters; my hubby’s has a very flat thing that fits on his chest with a strap. One would think that girths could be manufactured that had this built in…
You can buy elastic surcingles to attach the electrodes to. Some people put them on at vet checks.
I wouldn’t ride with one under the saddle.
