Training Winners the 21st Century Way

Jeremy endeavours to put his wealth of knowledge and practical experience to good use here at Cleeve Stables; top human athletes are commonly trained using the benefits of science, so why not horses? 

The horses are trained using a form of interval training, and heart rate monitors are used to measure the horses’ work rates during exercise. This enables Jeremy to set heart rate zones to which he wants the horses to work; thus a well-planned exercise programme can be used for each individual horse.  Two electrode pads placed under the saddle and under the girth are connected to a transmitter at the front of the saddle.  This conveys a signal to a wrist-watch monitor worn by the rider, enabling the horse’s heart rate to be monitored in real-time during exercise.  The recorded exercise session is downloaded into the computer on returning to the stables. 

From small samples of blood taken after exercise, lactate levels are rapidly measured at the on-site veterinary clinic.   As a by-product of high intensity anaerobic exercise, they are used to monitor individual horses’ work rates and to follow the increasing state of fitness as a horse’s training progresses.

By using a combination of traditional judgement and state of the art scientific methods, Cleeve Stables are rapidly heading towards the acclaim they once knew.