Connections between the heart rate and selected motor and biometric parameters in young half-bred stallions

The study concerned 345 half-breed stallions maintained at Training Centres in 2001-2003. The study was performed three times, and it consisted in heart rate recording and stallion's pace length measurements. Riders passed a determined distance nine times (three replications of walk, trot, and gallop). In addition, 114 biometric measurements were made, the results from which were listed in complex indices referring to: body, chest, front, and rear legs. Significant connections between the heart rate and body dimensions as well as pace length in trot and gallop occurred at the end of the training cycle. Inter-relations in the heart rate in particular paces were also recorded: between walk and trot (whole training cycle), walk and gallop, trot and gallop (2nd and 3rd phases), as well as between studies: in walk (within 2nd and 3rd phases), as well as trot and gallop (all phases). Basing on the correlations, six ways of comparative estimation of half-bred stallion's heart rate were established taking into account: a single phase of training cycle - on the basis of the heart rate in all paces, or the whole training cycle - on the basis of the heart rate in a single pace.