Re: heart murmer

["Sheila Noel" <snoel@scottsburg.com>]

I have a 16 y Arabian gelding that does the same thing.
I have taken him to Rood and Riddle in Lexington, KY and
had a cardiologist check him.  What is happening is that
the horse is so efficient in moving blood that the heart
can actually "rest" one beat.  If you listen to it sounds like
lub-dub, lub-dub, lub---, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub---,
GT Reno+ drops every 3rd beat when he's fit.
The proper term is a 2nd degree AV Block (mobitz type I)
it's not really a heart murmur.
I had an ultrasound done and his heart is normal-
just a VERY fit horse.  I carry a copy of the EKG with me - 
as I have had vets that do not want to let me start rides.
I also have had problems at P&Rs with someone trying to
count a lub-dub as 2 beats since there is a single one there.
Since that, I don't let him get to that rate around 40bpm in
endurance.  In CTR I have to explain a lot to inexperienced
people that it's normal for this horse.  At the IAHA CTR Nationals
he was down to 36bpm and dropping beats at the last vet check-
lucky the person had seen this before.

I'd still have a vet check - it could be a real murmur.

Sheila Noel
GT Reno+