Although heart disease is rare, heart murmurs and arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm) are commonly detected in horses, and their significance must be determined. In many cases a thorough examination of the cardiovascular system is all that is required to assess the relevance of an abnormal finding, but sometimes more advanced diagnostic procedures such as electrocardiography... Read more »
Heart murmurs are quite common in horses and are often detected during a routine veterinary examination or at pre-purchase examination. What is a heart murmur? A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard when the horses heart is listened to with a stethoscope. What causes murmurs? Murmurs are heard when there is abnormal flow of... Read more »
Although the presence of heart murmurs and arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm) are not uncommon in horses, they rarely cause any signs of actual heart disease in most horses. The most common type of abnormalities detected are abnormalities of the valves between the heart chambers or between the heart and the arteries, and some arrhythmias. What... Read more »