FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Equine veterinary journal. Supplement2011; (38); 196-201; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00185.x

Cardiac arrhythmias in clinically healthy showjumping horses.

Abstract: Electrocardiographic reference values of clinically normal horses during exercise are a prerequisite when evaluating horses with poor performance or horses presented with cardiac abnormalities (e.g. valvular regurgitation). No published studies have reported cardiac rhythms of clinically normal showjumping horses. Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) in normal horses during showjumping and also to document the prevalence and frequency of arrhythmias in association with exercise. Methods: Thirty-four healthy showjumping horses aged 4-13 years (mean 7.5 years) underwent clinical examination and resting echocardiography. Modified chest lead ECG examinations were performed during rest, during a standardised showjumping course, as well as for the following 45 min recovery. All ECG recordings were analysed for presence and frequency of arrhythmias. Results: Six horses (17%) were excluded due to ECG recordings of poor diagnostic quality. Echocardiography demonstrated that 11 (39%) horses had one or more mild or moderate valvular regurgitations, but no associations were found between valvular regurgitation and arrhythmias. Supraventricular premature complexes (SVPCs) were found in 9 (32%) horses at rest, 25 (89%) during exercise and 15 (54%) during recovery. Only few arrhythmias occurred in each horse (<9 SVPCs/horse); however, one horse had 13 single SVPCs during exercise and another developed 41 SVPCs during recovery. SVPCs occurred typically at low HR (40-98 beats/min). Ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) was demonstrated in 5 (18%) horses during exercise and 2 (7%) during recovery, with <2 VPCs/horse. Conclusions: It is possible to obtain good quality ECG during showjumping. Reference values for normal performing showjumping horses are presented for the first time and showed a high prevalence of SVPCs both during and after exercise, but few VPCs. Conclusions: Normal reference values enable future studies of cardiac function in showjumping horses presented with poor performance and provide valuable information for veterinary practitioners in the field.
© 2010 EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2011-05-27 PubMed ID: 21059006DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00185.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper investigates the feasibility of using exercise electrocardiograms (ECGs) to examine the presence and frequency of heart arrhythmias in healthy showjumping horses. It presents, for the first time, reference values for normal heart activity during and after exercise in these animals, which could help future studies to investigate cardiac function in horses presenting with poor performance.

Methods

The study involved:

  • 34 clinically healthy showjumping horses aged between 4 and 13 years.
  • A clinical examination and resting echocardiography were performed on each horse.
  • The researchers carried out ECG examinations using a modified chest lead on the horses while they were at rest, during a standardized showjumping course, and during a 45-minute recovery period afterwards.
  • The ECG recordings were analyzed for the presence and frequency of heart arrhythmias.

Results

The resulting data included the following findings:

  • Six horses were excluded due to inadequate quality of ECG recordings.
  • They found that 11 horses (39%) had one or more mild or moderate valvular regurgitations (irregular valve function in the heart), but could find no associations between such regurgitation and heart arrhythmias.
  • Supraventricular premature complexes (SVPCs) — abnormal heartbeats originating from the upper chambers of the heart — were observed in nine horses at rest, 25 during exercise, and 15 during recovery.
  • There were only a few instances of these complexes in each horse, though one horse had several during exercise and another showed a more notable amount during recovery.
  • Ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) — abnormal heartbeats originating from the lower chambers of the heart were observed in five horses during exercise and two during their recovery, with fewer than two occurrences per horse.

Conclusion

The research concludes that:

  • It is feasible to collect good quality ECG data from horses during showjumping.
  • The new reference values for normal heart activity during and after exercise in showjumping horses have been established for the first time.
  • The data shows a high prevalence of SVPCs both during and after exercise but only a few VPCs.
  • These reference values can support future studies into cardiac function in these animals, providing useful data for veterinary practitioners.

Cite This Article

APA
Buhl R, Meldgaard C, Barbesgaard L. (2011). Cardiac arrhythmias in clinically healthy showjumping horses. Equine Vet J Suppl(38), 196-201. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00185.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal. Supplement
NlmUniqueID: 9614088
Country: United States
Language: English
Issue: 38
Pages: 196-201

Researcher Affiliations

Buhl, R
  • Department of Large Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. rib@life.ku.dk
Meldgaard, C
    Barbesgaard, L

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / diagnosis
      • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / veterinary
      • Echocardiography / veterinary
      • Electrocardiography / instrumentation
      • Electrocardiography / methods
      • Electrocardiography / veterinary
      • Female
      • Heart Rate / physiology
      • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
      • Horses
      • Male
      • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
      • Sports

      Citations

      This article has been cited 13 times.
      1. McCrae P, Spong H, Rutherford AA, Osborne V, Mahnam A, Pearson W. A Smart Textile Band Achieves High-Quality Electrocardiograms in Unrestrained Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 23;12(23).
        doi: 10.3390/ani12233254pubmed: 36496775google scholar: lookup
      2. Biondi V, Landi A, Pugliese M, Merola G, Passantino A. Inflammatory Response and Electrocardiographic Examination in Horses Vaccinated against Equine Herpesvirus (Ehv-1). Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 19;12(6).
        doi: 10.3390/ani12060778pubmed: 35327175google scholar: lookup
      3. Alberti E, Stucchi L, Lo Feudo CM, Stancari G, Conturba B, Ferrucci F, Zucca E. Evaluation of Cardiac Arrhythmias before, during, and after Treadmill Exercise Testing in Poorly Performing Standardbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 16;11(8).
        doi: 10.3390/ani11082413pubmed: 34438870google scholar: lookup
      4. Cherdchutham W, Koomgun K, Singtoniwet S, Wongsutthawart N, Nontakanun N, Wanmad W, Petchdee S. Assessment of cardiac variables using a new electrocardiography lead system in horses. Vet World 2020 Jun;13(6):1229-1233.
        doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.1229-1233pubmed: 32801577google scholar: lookup
      5. da Costa CF, Samesima N, Pastore CA. Cardiac Mean Electrical Axis in Thoroughbreds-Standardization by the Dubois Lead Positioning System. PLoS One 2017;12(1):e0169619.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169619pubmed: 28095442google scholar: lookup
      6. Flethøj M, Kanters JK, Pedersen PJ, Haugaard MM, Carstensen H, Olsen LH, Buhl R. Appropriate threshold levels of cardiac beat-to-beat variation in semi-automatic analysis of equine ECG recordings. BMC Vet Res 2016 Nov 28;12(1):266.
        doi: 10.1186/s12917-016-0894-2pubmed: 27894294google scholar: lookup
      7. Lanata A, Guidi A, Baragli P, Valenza G, Scilingo EP. A Novel Algorithm for Movement Artifact Removal in ECG Signals Acquired from Wearable Systems Applied to Horses. PLoS One 2015;10(10):e0140783.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140783pubmed: 26484686google scholar: lookup
      8. Hesselkilde EZ, Almind ME, Petersen J, Flethøj M, Præstegaard KF, Buhl R. Cardiac arrhythmias and electrolyte disturbances in colic horses. Acta Vet Scand 2014 Oct 2;56(1):58.
        doi: 10.1186/s13028-014-0058-ypubmed: 25274423google scholar: lookup
      9. Reef VB, Bonagura J, Buhl R, McGurrin MK, Schwarzwald CC, van Loon G, Young LE. Recommendations for management of equine athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities. J Vet Intern Med 2014 May-Jun;28(3):749-61.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.12340pubmed: 24628586google scholar: lookup
      10. Morgan RA, Raftery AG, Cripps P, Senior JM, McGowan CM. The prevalence and nature of cardiac arrhythmias in horses following general anaesthesia and surgery. Acta Vet Scand 2011 Nov 23;53(1):62.
        doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-53-62pubmed: 22112936google scholar: lookup
      11. Maas LT, Morgan JM, Case J, Chell DD, McLean AK. Pilot Study: Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Indices in Mules Evaluated by 24-Hour Electrocardiogram. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 20;15(16).
        doi: 10.3390/ani15162438pubmed: 40867766google scholar: lookup
      12. Navas de Solis C, Ramseyer A, Stefanovski D, Haughan J, Solomon CJ, Kirsch K. Association of heart rate variability, exercise intensity and exercising arrhythmias with competition results in eventing horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Nov;57(6):1446-1456.
        doi: 10.1111/evj.14491pubmed: 40008417google scholar: lookup
      13. Navas de Solis C, Solomon C, Durando M, Stefanovski D. Electrocardiograms from different types of exercise in Eventing horses with and without cardiac signs. Equine Vet J 2025 Jul;57(4):991-1000.
        doi: 10.1111/evj.14449pubmed: 39632364google scholar: lookup
      Subscribe to our newsletter
      Join 100,129 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.