In conjunction with research into arrythmias and sudden death in thorougbred race horses, researchers at Equine Guelph in Ontario, Canada have released a series of videos that report on their research and offer insights and help to all horse owners.
Equine Guelph, a not for profit organization serving the horse and its industry through education, research, healthcare promotion and industry development has made it a policy to focus on research projects that are of benefit to all horse owners. Founded in 2003, they are supported and overseen by equine industry groups and are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of horses.
Research into arrythmias as cause of sudden death
Sudden death research in racehorses has implications for all horses.
Dr. Peter W. Physick-Sheard, Population Medicine, and Co-investigator: Kim. J. McGurrin, equine researchers at Equine Guelph in Ontario Canada have been focusing their studies on arrhythmia and sudden death in thoroughbred racehorses.
As Dr. Physick-Sheard states: "Sudden death(SCD) in a racehorse is distressing for everyone involved in racing. It raises animal welfare, economic, and safety concerns, and represents horrendous public relations for the industry."
In an attempt to better understand the causes of sudden death, the two researchers recently performed a study in Standardbred racehorses in which heart rhythm was followed from harnessing until the end of the race during normal competition.
They identified disturbances in rhythm immediately after the race that would be capable of causing a fatal outcome, but there were no fatalities, and they saw clear indications of strategies that might reduce the risk of a fatal outcome.
SCD associated with racing occurs more commonly in the Thoroughbred than in the Standardbred, and there is every possibility that similar events are taking place.
To resolve this question they monitored heart rate and rhythm during normal competition in Thoroughbred horses, from saddling to unsaddling and beyond, to see if similar disturbances are taking place. The objective was to characterize the range of usual rhythm variations and provide guidance as they develop strategies to minimise risk.
McGurrin and Physick-Sheard have had enormous success treating arrhythmia with transvenous electrical cardioversion. Electrodes are placed into the heart to deliver an electric shock, while the horse is under anesthesia, to convert the rhythm to normal.
Dr. McGurrin and Dr. Physick-Sheard developed this technique before their first Standardbred track study, where they collected heart rhythm data during racing using an electrocardiogram.
Dr. Physick-Sheard explains how the technology works, “The heart is a bag of muscle, a slave pump which does what the system tells it, contracting at a rate that reflects the body’s needs. The heart gives off an electrical signal when it contracts which reaches the skin and can be detected by the electrocardiogram (ECG). This is then used to monitor heart rhythm.”
Dr. Physick-Sheard has developed specialized equipment and software for the current intensive Thoroughbred study, which he is hoping will give more insights into causes of sudden death.