How to read a training monitored by EQUIMETRE?

To optimize the use of the EQUIMETRE data, a few simple tips during the replay of the training allow for a clear and enlightened analysis.

Four key steps to follow:

• Qualify the training
• Look at the key parameters
• Analyze the recovery with the HR curve
• Study the split times

1. Qualify your trainings

In order not to get lost in the data, it is important to qualify training sessions to avoid comparing the incomparable. In fact, it is useless to compare the data from a short canter with the ones of a very intense training. To compare two training sessions, they must have the same intensity and the same conditions. Notes can be added to remember, for example, which horses run with which horse.

• Go to a training page 
• Click on "Edit training"
  
• Select the various training parameters using the drop-down menu for each category.
  
• To go faster, a pop-up appears to qualify several workouts at the same time.
  
• From the home page, the "Qualify latest training" button will also take you to the multiple training editing page.

Once you have completed this edition, your training is qualified and you can compare it in the PREMIUM ANALYTICS EQUIMETRE tool.

2. Look at the key parameters

These are the main information to remember from the training, at a glance; this first table gives an idea of the horse's fitness.

• Key speed parameters: max speed, best 600m, best 200m. NB: During the race, the times on 200m are around 11-12s, on 600m around 35-36s.
• Key cardio parameters: max HR, after the effort, after 15 minutes of recovery. A well-assimilated training will show low levels of HR. NB: passing the 100bpm mark after the effort, and the 90bpm mark at 15 minutes gives an idea of the correct recovery.

3. Analyze heart rate and recovery in more depth

The third step reviews the 4 different heart rate zones of training to assess your horse's fitness and ability to hold his effort.

1. Training area (A): Speed and heart rate are high. It allows you to quantify the effort of the horse during exercise based on his maximum heart rate.
   
2. Deceleration area at the end of work (B): speed decreases but heart rate remains high. This is a control of exercise intensity. The shorter this zone, the better the horse's recovery.
   
3. The fast recovery phase (C): speed is significantly reduced and so is the heart rate. This qualifies the recovery immediately after the effort.
   

   Quality of the recovery	Level of HR corresponding (for information)	Details
   Bad	> 145	The horse recovers with difficulty (young horse for example)
   Poor	125 - 144	The exercise was intense for the horse
   Fair	110 - 124	Recovers correctly
   Good	90 - 109	The horse is recovering well
   Excellent	< 90	The horse is perfectly able to recover

4. Recovery at 15 mins (D): speed is considerably reduced and heart rate decreases slowly. This provides us with information on fitness.

These parameters allow you to reread each training session and evaluate your horse's recovery and physical condition in order to know if it is ready to run a race.

4. Assess speed skills

The last step in reading a training session is to analyze your horse's speed using the intermediate time table.

The analysis of split times during training is a useful tool to help you make the decision to enter the race. Indeed, it allows you to know if a horse is ready for a target race. Let's take the example of a horse monitored by EQUIMETRE (completely anonymous).

The red box shows the split times for the 200m of this training with the finish line. The training took place on grass and soft ground.

On average, the winners of the 2000m races on soft grass in Chantilly ran the 200m in 11.5s. If we average the 3 last intermediate times of this horse, we get 11.3. We conclude that this horse is ready to race with these conditions in Chantilly.

If you wish to enter a horse in a race :

• Find race reference data (accessible on the internet) corresponding to training conditions (weather, quality of the ground, etc.)
• Calculate the average intermediate times from the reference times
• Compare the average of the horse training to the reference times
• Decide if the horse is ready to win the targeted level of racing.