erratic heart beat

[Glenn Foster <gfoste19@idt.net>]

> At our first ride of the season, a 25, two weeks
> a go, the ride vet asked me if I had ever been told that my horse had an
> erradic heart beat.  I was pretty stunned and told him no.  He said that my
> gelding skips a beat every so often.  I had been using a heart monitor for
> training. He said it wouldn't necessarily show up a monitor.  He also said
> that once he gets going, he may not skip a beat at all, which seems to be the
> case.  I left befuddled with the news and went back to our trailer, grabbed a
> stethoscope and took a long listen.  Sure enough, at rest, he seems to skip
> every fourth beat.  We finished our ride just fine and no other vet even
> mentioned it.  I'm out of town now, but planning on consulting my own vet when
> I return home.  I want to start doing 50's but am, of course, concerned.
> Anyone else ever have a horse with such an arythmia?

Last weekend at the vet-in, Rae Birr looked up from the stethoscope and
said 
(I think these were her words) "Normal second beat block".  I felt a
sudden
sense of panic, but she was smiling. Dr. Birr  does not smile when a
horse has
a problem.  She said, "come back after the trot so I can listen again." 
We 
trotted.  She listened, said "good, I hear four beats".  Then she
explained
that when a horse is starting to get really fit it may skip a beat
because 
it just doesnt need it.  

Glenn Foster
SE Michigan