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Troubleshooting heart rate measurement

Troubleshooting Heart Rate Measurement

Polar H10 + Equine Belt (EI Potential)

This guide applies to:

  • No heart rate showing
  • Heart rate clearly too low
  • Moderate or poor recording quality (see status or dashboard EI Potential)

Step 1 - Check if the sensor is empowered and connected

Goal: Confirm that the sensor is powered on and communicating via Bluetooth.

How to check:

  1. Remove the sensor from the belt.
  2. Hold the sensor in your hand.
  3. Place two fingers on the two metal buttons on the back of the sensor.
  4. Open the EI Potential app and:
    • Start a new Recording
    • Select Continue to Sensor Check
  5. Check the battery status shown in the top-right corner of the screen.

Outcome:

  • Battery status is visible and above 10%
    → The sensor is powered and connected. Continue to STEP 2.
  • No battery status is visible
    → Continue to STEP 1a.

Step 1a - Fix battery or pairing (only if needed)

Only follow this step if no battery status is shown in STEP 1.

  1. Replace the sensor battery (correct battery type).
  2. Repeat STEP 1 to check if the battery status is now visible.

If the battery was replaced but the sensor is still not detected:

  1. In the EI Potential app, go to Settings → Sensors
  2. Select the sensor and tap Forget Sensor
  3. Activate the sensor again (two fingers on the back buttons)
  4. Tap Add (+) Sensor and reconnect it
  5. Repeat STEP 1

Once the battery status is visible → Continue to STEP 2.

Step 2 - Prepare the electrode contact correctly

This step solves most heart rate measurement problems.

Heart rate belts do not work through dry hair.
The electrode areas must be wet all the way down to the skin.

Correct wetting method:

  1. Identify the electrode areas on the belt (2 area’s with ‘arrows’ on it)
  2. Use a bottle with warm water (not hot).
  3. Pour water directly onto the electrode areas.
  4. Use a sponge to rub the water into the coat until the skin underneath is wet.
  5. If available, apply contact gel to the electrode areas.

With a thick winter coat or recently shaven coat, cold temperatures, or wind, the coat can dry very quickly. Extra wetting can be required.

Once contact is prepared → Continue to STEP 3.

Step 3 - Check belt fit

  1. Attach the belt and sensor to the horse.
  2. The belt should be snug and should not slide during movement.
  3. With thick winter coats, the belt usually needs to be tightened slightly more than in summer.

Start a recording and observe the heart rate for 1-2 minutes.

  • Heart rate responds logically to walk, trot, and canter
    → Continue recording.

  • Heart rate remains low, flat, or unstable
    → Continue to STEP 4.

Step 4 - Reduce coat interference

If contact problems keep returning despite correct wetting:
– Clip a small strip of hair only where the electrode areas sit.

This significantly improves contact and is the most reliable long-term solution for winter measurements.
Test again:

  • Heart rate is now stable
    → Problem solved.
  • Heart rate is still unstable or missing
    → Continue to STEP 5.

Step 5 - Check for belt or electrode wear

If:

  • Battery and pairing are correct
  • Electrode contact is optimized
  • Belt fit is correct
  • Coat interference is minimized

And heart rate problems persist, the issue is likely hardware wear.

Signs of a worn belt:

  • Cracks or visible damage in the electrode material
  • Intermittent or missing data despite good wetting
  • Persistent poor recording quality

Solution: Replace the equine heart rate belt. If possible, test with another belt or sensor to confirm.