Assessing fitness?

Question

How can fitness be assessed using treadmills and swimming pools? Like how can you measure how fit a horse is by using them. I know about heart monitors, but anything else?

Answer 1

Assessing fitness is a bit more complicated than measuring a horse's vital signs in response to contained extertions from treadmills and swimming pools.  In fact, treadmills and swimming pools are more often used as tools to improve horses' strength, cardiovascular and pulminary performance for certain sports and activities.

A horse's level of "fitness" must be rated according to the job he is being asked to perform.  According to thehorse.com:

"Being fit means that a horse can perform his tasks with minimum effort and a low risk of injury. It also means that he has the stamina to continue until we ask him to stop. Depending on the job a horse is doing, his fitness level might need to be relatively low (as, for instance, with a Western pleasure mount or child's pony) or extremely high (as with racehorses, endurance horses, and upper-level eventers and polo ponies). Different sorts of jobs require different sorts of fitness, as well. Barrel racers and racing Quarter Horses, for example, are sprinters, who need to develop explosive speed in their "fast-twitch" muscles, but don't have to sustain their performances for long, while for a dressage horse, suppleness and strength are key, and speed is a rare requirement."

The article that the above quote came from is linked below -- and it is an excellent tool for building and assessing your horse's fitness.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Besides hr, the respiration and amount a horse sweats indicate his fitness level.  The treadmill allows a lot of control, and it's easier to monitor his vitals, same with the pool, but the treadmill is more exact as you can choose the speed.  You know about the hr  monitor, which is probably the best tool.  Checking the horses gums after exercise is also an indication.  They should be very pink indicating good blood flow.