FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Equine veterinary journal2016; 48(4); 406-413; doi: 10.1111/evj.12580

Exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in horses: Review of the literature and comparative aspects.

Abstract: Arrhythmias are common in equine athletes during and immediately after exercise. Many of these rhythm variations are not clinically relevant. In horses, a link between different exercising arrhythmias and poor performance or between exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is strongly suspected but not fully understood or proven. SCD during races or competitions is rare, but has catastrophic consequences for the safety of the human partner and public perceptions of welfare during equestrian sports. This review summarises current knowledge of equine exercise arrhythmias and their implications in SCD and compares existing principles and recommendations for equine subjects with those for human athletes.
© 2016 EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2016-05-09 PubMed ID: 27156002DOI: 10.1111/evj.12580Google 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
  • Review

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 article discusses the connection between arrhythmias during exercise, poor performance, and sudden cardiac death in horses, comparing the principles and recommendations for horses and human athletes.

Summary of Research Article

The main focus of this research is on the arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) that occur in horses during and immediately after exercise. These variations in rhythm are often insignificant from a clinical perspective, but researchers are investigating their potential direct relationship with poor performance and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in horses. Despite suspicions of such links, the connections are not yet fully understood or proven.

While SCD is rare during races or competitions, it poses serious safety risks for the human riders and influences public perception of animal welfare in equestrian sports. The researchers aim to deepen our understanding of this issue by reviewing and summarizing the existing literature.

Arrhythmias in Equine Athletes and Implications for Performance

This study explores:

  • The prevalence of arrhythmias in equine athletes,
  • The potential effect of these arrhythmias on a horse’s performance,
  • The suspected relationship between exercise-induced arrhythmias and poor performance, which is still not entirely understood and requires further research.

Relationship between Exercising Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death in Horses

The paper further delves into:

  • The role that exercising arrhythmias might play in sudden cardiac death in horses,
  • The consequences of this phenomenon, which can be catastrophic not only for the horse but also for its human partner,
  • The challenging task of proving the link between these exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac events.

Comparative Aspects: Equine Arrhythmias vs Human Athletes

This study aims to provide a comparative review of equine and human exercise arrhythmias. In this section, the paper discusses:

  • The similarities and differences in the occurrence of arrhythmias and their potential impacts on performance or health between horses and human athletes,
  • The fact that current principles and recommendations for managing and preventing exercising arrhythmias in horses might draw upon guidelines created for human athletes.

Cite This Article

APA
Navas de Solis C. (2016). Exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in horses: Review of the literature and comparative aspects. Equine Vet J, 48(4), 406-413. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12580

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 48
Issue: 4
Pages: 406-413

Researcher Affiliations

Navas de Solis, C
  • Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science (Vetsuisse), University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Texas Veterinary Medical Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / etiology
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / pathology
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / veterinary
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / pathology
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / adverse effects

Citations

This article has been cited 15 times.
  1. Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Associations between Medical Disorders and Racing Outcomes in Poorly Performing Standardbred Trotter Racehorses: A Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 9;13(16).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13162569pubmed: 37627359google scholar: lookup
  2. Cruz-Aleixo AS, de Oliveira KC, de Oliveira Ferreira LV, Cedeo Quevedo DA, Cruz RKS, Tsunemi MH, Chiacchio SB, Lourenço MLG. Electrocardiographic and Echocardiographic Parameters in Pega Breed Donkeys: A Descriptive Study. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 27;13(5).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13050861pubmed: 36899718google scholar: lookup
  3. McCrae P, Spong H, Golestani N, Mahnam A, Bashura Y, Pearson W. Validation of an Equine Smart Textile System for Heart Rate Variability: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 1;13(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13030512pubmed: 36766401google scholar: lookup
  4. Nath L, Stent A, Elliott A, La Gerche A, Franklin S. Risk Factors for Exercise-Associated Sudden Cardiac Death in Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 18;12(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12101297pubmed: 35625143google scholar: lookup
  5. Van Steenkiste G, Delhaas T, Hermans B, Vera L, Decloedt A, van Loon G. An Exploratory Study on Vectorcardiographic Identification of the Site of Origin of Focally Induced Premature Depolarizations in Horses, Part II: The Ventricles. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 23;12(5).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12050550pubmed: 35268119google scholar: lookup
  6. Hellings IR, Skjerve E, Karlstam E, Valheim M, Ihler CF, Fintl C. Racing-associated fatalities in Norwegian and Swedish harness racehorses: Incidence rates, risk factors, and principal postmortem findings. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Mar;36(2):778-786.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16364pubmed: 35060194google scholar: lookup
  7. Hövener J, Pokar J, Merle R, Gehlen H. Association between Cardiac Auscultation and Echocardiographic Findings in Warmblood Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Dec 5;11(12).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11123463pubmed: 34944240google scholar: lookup
  8. Gunther-Harrington CT, Arthur R, Estell K, Martinez Lopez B, Sinnott A, Ontiveros E, Varga A, Stern JA. Prospective pre- and post-race evaluation of biochemical, electrophysiologic, and echocardiographic indices in 30 racing thoroughbred horses that received furosemide. BMC Vet Res 2018 Jan 18;14(1):18.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1336-0pubmed: 29347921google scholar: lookup
  9. Shave R, Howatson G, Dickson D, Young L. Exercise-Induced Cardiac Remodeling: Lessons from Humans, Horses, and Dogs. Vet Sci 2017 Feb 12;4(1).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci4010009pubmed: 29056668google scholar: lookup
  10. McCrae P, Spong H, Moorehead J, Pearson W. Validation of a smart textile device for long-duration heart rate variability and detection of physiological arrhythmias in resting horses. BMC Vet Res 2025 Nov 19;21(1):675.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-05120-0pubmed: 41257881google scholar: lookup
  11. Kapusniak A, Lara NM, Hitchens PL, Bailey S, Nath L, Franklin S. Use of Artificial Intelligence to Detect Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances in Athletes: A Scoping Review. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Nov-Dec;39(6):e70257.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.70257pubmed: 41017277google scholar: lookup
  12. Selecky ME, Louie EW, Donnelly C, Finno CJ, Morgan JM. Reference Values and Association of Body Weight, Age, and Sex With Echocardiographic Measurements in Non-Athletic Quarter Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Sep-Oct;39(5):e70237.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.70237pubmed: 40931454google scholar: lookup
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. Kelly-Bosma M, Henning J, Haworth M, Ploeg R, Woolford L, Neef A, Das S, Allavena R. A Multicentre Epidemiologic Study of Sudden and Unexpected Death in Adult Cats and Dogs in Australia. Vet Sci 2023 Sep 20;10(9).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci10090582pubmed: 37756104google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 100,129 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.