Re: heart murmers/erratic heart beat

[helen@loc3.tandem.com (harvey_helen)]

The following is from Stacy; for some reason, she couldn't post 
to the list.

> 
> I read your posting about a heart murmer with your horse, and sighed.
> 
> 2 months ago my much loved 15 year old Arabian,  Porter died of what was 
> probably a heart attack in his pasture.  We had been riding endurance 
> for 11 years.  He had a heart murmer that came and went.  The vets said 
> it wasn't much to worry about - but to keep him well hydrated at all 
> times and to ensure he had elecrolytes.  
> 
> The day he died we finished the Oakland Hills 50.  Porter had excellent 
> scores all day.  At 38 miles, we heard his heart murmer - but hydration, 
> attitude - everything was an "A".  At the end, Porter had an irregular 
> heart beat.  All the vets (5 of them, including a cardiologist) listened 
> to it and hadn't heard anything like it.  They gave him a completion, 
> and noted that he had an arythmia.  His overall grade at the end of the 
> ride was an "A".  They did suggest that I get with my regular vet on Monday.
> In my heart - I feel like I knew something was  different, and wrong.  
> The vets were totally floored to hear that Porter died.  He obviously
>  had something bad going on that the veterinarians in the 
> field could not possibly detect.  They would have needed an EKG.
> 
> Now I am not saying your horse will have these problems.  I am letting 
> you know of my loss.  I will not ride a horse with a known heart murmer 
> over distance again.  Porter probably would have died another time, but 
> maybe not for another 5 years.  I would have gladly kept him as a
> pet/pasture 
> ornament/light riding horse.   Then again, June 14 may have been the 
> day his time was up - regardless of whether I rode or not.  As you can 
> tell - I miss him terribly.
> 
> Good luck and take care of your guy.
> 
> Stacy
> 
>