Relationship between QRS-duration (heart score) and racing performance in trotters.

This study investigates the correlation between heart scores or QRS-duration (a measure of heart health) and performance in trotting horses. It found increased heart scores with age and training, with a notable increase in correlation between heart score and kilometre time in horses aged 4 years or older. It also found a positive correlation of heart scores with earnings in races, particularly in stallions.

Heart Scores and Training

• The study shows that heart scores increase with age and training in trotting horses.
• Specifically, yearling horses started with an average heart score of about 90 milliseconds (msecs), rising to approximately 110 msecs by the time they are five years old. After reaching the age of five, any further increase in heart scores were negligible.

Heart Scores and Performance

• For horses aged four years or older, the research showed a significant correlation between heart score and kilometre time. This suggests that as the heart score of a trotter increases, their performance as represented by their kilometre time also improves.
• However, this correlation was less significant in younger horses. The research suggests that age is a factor in the relationship between the heart score and the horse’s performance.

Heart Scores and Earnings

• The study also discovered a positive correlation between heart scores and earnings in races.
• Horses that had heart scores above 115 msecs won significantly more than horses with lower heart scores. This implies that horses with higher heart scores have greater race-winning potential, which translates into higher race earnings.
• Interestingly, the relationship between heart scores and earnings was much closer in stallion horses than in mares, which suggests possible differences in heart health and racing performance between male and female horses.

Conclusion

• Overall, the study demonstrates the importance of heart health, as measured by heart scores, in the performance of trotting horses.
• The findings offer interesting insights for those in the equestrian industry, including trainers and breeders, providing a potential indicator for a horse’s racing performance and financial success.