Heart size

["Kathy Myers" <kathy@nvolve.com>]

"Secretariat's heart was estimated at 22 pounds."
- Big Red of Meadow Stable

In comparison, the average Thoroughbred heart [is]
around 8 1/2 pounds.
- The X Factor

I suppose I should point out here that a large heart
is not the same as an enlarged heart.  A large healthy
efficient heart can move more blood per beat.  An
enlarged heart is an unhealthy heart which works
harder to move the same amount of blood as a normal
heart.  Since heart is a muscle, an unhealthy heart
trys to compensate by increasing in size with the
decreased efficiency.

Magnum comes from TB lines which carry this large
heart down from Eclipse.  I suspect that's why he
had such wonderful recoveries.  Of course I'm not
about to find out for sure just yet.  ;-)

I guess the question now is did Eclipse get it from
an Arab line and if so which one?  He sire lines back
to the Darley Arabian, but this trait is believed to
be passed through the dam.  Thus the term "broodmare
sire".  A non-scientifc paging through of the TB
pedigree page loosely tracking broodmare sires back
turned up an interesting horse by the name of
"St. Victor's Barb" and the Goldolpin Arabian.

:)  :)  :) - kat myers
in San Mateo, Ca
with Magnum the TB ex-racer "Little Matador"
... loosely defined Princequillo x Nasrullah
and Mr Maajistic