Island Life Magazine Ltd October/ November 2012 | Page 100

EQUESTRIAN

qu i n e
E
is
t
c
e
V
e
h
T

y
r
a
n
i
r
e
t
e
V
D i a ry
ners
Kate Man
ertAVP
C
S
BVM&
MRCVS

Heart murmurs

explained

The average 500kg horse has a blood

be heard when the heart is usually silent

blood pumping through the heart. Many

volume of approximately 50 litres, ten times

between these heart sounds.

of these murmurs are inaudible once the

greater than that of a 70kg adult person! This

horse begins to exercise and the heart

massive volume is pumped around the body

rate increases. However some murmurs

by the horses’ heart, which weighs around

are caused by underlying heart disease

3.6kg. At rest, when relaxed, a horses’ heart

and these are referred to as pathological

usual ǒ&VG2&WGvVV