I decided to add my 2 cents to the interval training (IT) debate along with some heart rate data that was collected with my horse. I used IT with sled dogs ('77-83) and with my first race horse. The methods I used is a little different then Tom's and based on my own research. What I basically did was run shorter high speed interval for a maximum of 10-15 seconds depending on the condition of the animal with rest periods of 30 seconds. With the dogs I would do 4-5 intervals during a 3-4 mile training run, usually after the first 1 mile. The reason I used high speed runs of short duration was to train the neruo-muscular system to operate at high speeds, limit the time to prevent injury, and the short interval would not deplete the phosphate energy. Because I only had training time on the weekend I used this method to condition the animals. In my first race I ran second to one of the top sled dog drivers on the east coast. I used Siberian Huskies and he used what is called an Alaskan Husky which is a mixed breed of Siberian and hounds. Alaskan's are extremely fast compared to Siberians. Conformation differents in the ratios of the legs bones. On my horse I used a method very similar except I limited the intervals to 2 or 3 works of 1/8 to 1/4 mile depending on the condition. The horse would gallop for about a mile and then work 1/8 slow down to a gallop for about 1-2 min. depending on his heart rate and then work another 1/8. As his conditioning improved the works would become longer a 1/4 mile. The interval training was space around other normal works of increased duration. We would also use 2 min licks or 30 second quarters during the condition process. This was my first involvement with horses and I purchased him as a yearling from a auction (1982) based on my own analysis of his conformation. The horse was immediately put into training. I had him trained as if he would never be a race horse at the start. A well known east coast rider/trainer in hunter-jumpers started working with him. During his early training I collected heart rate data. He was contitioned using long slow distance training with rides lasting sometime up to an hour, over various terrains. When he was two he was move to a farm with a training track where the interval work was started. This farm also had a swimming pond where he would swim sometimes twice a week for 15-20 minutes. Most of the training and works were done before his knees were closed and the horse never bucked shins. He made it to the track as a two year old had 20 life time races (20-1-3-1, $4100+) was retired and trained as jumper for another year before I sold him. He was jumping 3 ft. is shows and doing 3-6 when sold. I feel that I was quite fortunate to buy my first horse, get him to the track, and break his maiden. Not may horses make it as far for a horse who did not have a super pedigree. Note: I ran into resistance with a number of horse trainers when trying to implement some of the training methods and especially when he got to the race track. The procedures at the track are just to confining to do some of the IT. Below is the herat rate data. I collected heart rate data for a number of months while he was trained on the farm. For example: as a 2y0 Sept 1983 Two 1/4 mi. works separated by 2 minutes of galloping. Heart rate would drop to 164 bpm at 20fps velocity before the next work. Regression Equation for heart rate vs. velocity (range 15-50 fps) Months in Training Equation 1-3 bpm=27.92 + 5.9666*Vel 7-8 36.89 + 5.067*Vel 1-10 43.544 + 4.966*vel 7-10 61.56 + 4.27*vel 8-10 78 + 3.85 *vel 9-10 83.98 +3.53*vel 10 121 +2.27*vel As you can see as the training progressed the slope of the line was reduced. The above data was recorded with a EQB heart rate meter and I used a voice activated head set to talk to the rider. The max. heart rate I recorded at least twice was around 225 bpm. Once the rider said he saw about 265. Larry From owner-derby@inslab.uky.edu Tue Mar 21 21:49:18 1995 Return-Path: Received: from simpatico.inslab.uky.edu by oasys.dt.navy.mil (5.61/oasys.dt.navy.mil) id AA24966; Tue, 21 Mar 95 21:49:16 EST Received: by inslab.uky.edu (NX5.67e/NX3.0M) id AA23237; Tue, 21 Mar 95 21:46:15 -0500 Message-Id: <9503220233.AA24440@oasys.dt.navy.mil> Date: 21 Mar 95 21:06 EST From: wellman (Larry Wellman) Subject: Re: #2(5) Derby Digest V50 #31 To: derby@inslab.uky.edu (Horse Racing List) In-Reply-To: Message of 21 Mar 1995 19:35 Comments: Derby Message #5476 Sender: owner-derby@inslab.uky.edu Errors-To: derby-problems@inslab.uky.edu Tom, I hope this information is also of interest to other derby members. Some data I collected indicates that the anerobic threshold is around 200bpm (Ref. Engelhardt ?sp). From my data I have a note (from 1983) which indicates a range from 220-240bpm. Do not know the source could be just my guess. I have enclosed another work session which was conducted over a number of minutes with high heart rates and consistent. The EQB meter does a averaging method of I believe 6 beats before a display is undated. I developed a method to hold the electrodes in place by using damp sponges and strapes. Heart Rate in stall before tacking up =34bpm Walking to the track =91bpm Pole Heart Rate Velcoity fps 0 117 0 1 x 10.5 2 x 14 3 185 22.8 4 189 24.4 5 167 23.6 6 162 21.3 7 164 22 8 186 25.4 9 187 27.5 10 167 22 11 168 23.6 12 183 25.4 13 200 26.4 14 202 28.7 15 201 30 16 211 33 17 213 33 18 211 28.7 19 208 33 20 214 34.7 21 221 34.7 This was a total of 9 1/2 mins of galloping covering 2.5 miles. This was done during the 10 month of training on 10/22/83 at the training track. Recovery Heart Rate Walking back from track to barn. 3 min after gallop 101 4 105 5 102 6 94 7 99 on hill 8 91 back in barn Larry