Heart Murmur and exercise...

[lucy_108]

Late last year by horse was found to have a Grade 5 heart murmur...quite literally out of the blue. He'd had a dental 3 months prior and nothing was heard by vet at all.
He's had it listened to five subsequent times by different vets over the last 6 months and all have picked it up immediately - there has also been question marks over atrial fibulation.
The options were to retire him from ridden work or to get a referral to a cardiologist at our nearest vet hospital. The cardiologist is £600 to just be seen - scans and tests on top. He is 23, not insured for anything apart from external injury and I just cannot afford it at the moment.
I stopped riding him immediately, helpfully (?) it coincided with a leg injury that put him off games for a while anyway.
Leg is now looking great and I started doing some in hand walking with him as his brain was just not happy being a field monkey. He adores doing something - no matter what it is - but I just wanted other people's experiences of a G5 murmur ever safely coming back to work? I appreciate without a scan etc. it's impossible to tell...but I want to know if it's be spending upwards of £600 for someone to just confirm he can't (or shouldn't for safety reasons) be ridden.
If you can't tell, I'm struggling to come to terms with it...he's my horse of a lifetime and not ever riding him again breaks my heart...of course I'm hugely grateful he's still happy and with me, but it's tough to bench him forever, esp when he thrives on work.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think with a grade 5 heart murmur and him being 23 I think I would just retire him to be honest, I know it's sad to think you can't ride him anymore but unfortunately they don't go on forever.

I wouldn't be throwing big amounts of money on it being confirmed.

 

[splashgirl45]

I had no idea my horse had a heart murmer, I was cantering up a level track and he somersaulted , luckily I was thrown clear, it was so odd I did get back on but only walked home . Got the vet out as he had a couple of minor injuries and as the fall was so out of the blue I wanted him checked. Was diagnosed with a heart murmur and vet said not to ride and either PTS or retire. I retired him and he seemed fine and I only eventually PTS at 24 as he was struggling to get up in the field and winter was coming. I think he had 3 happy years of retirement..

 

[khalswitz]

At 23 I wouldn’t risk it. There was a lovely horse on my yard when I was younger that had a serious heart murmur, and he was ridden ride up til he died - but I witnessed him drop dead from the heart murmur when we were bringing the horses in one morning and they had been galloping about. It threw up real questions over what would have happened if that had happened with a rider on him.

Personally, if it’s that bad and vets have suggested retiring him, I’d retire him. 23 isn’t a crazy age to retire at.

Edit: Saying that, my current horse was noted to have a Grade 3 murmur at her vetting, but the vet wrote on the cert that it was likely clinically insignificant, and she’s been seen twice by vets who haven't been able to hear it. So heart murmurs in general don’t worry me hugely - but a high grade one in an old horse isn’t worth the safety risk of riding I don’t think.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Late last year by horse was found to have a Grade 5 heart murmur...quite literally out of the blue. He'd had a dental 3 months prior and nothing was heard by vet at all.
He's had it listened to five subsequent times by different vets over the last 6 months and all have picked it up immediately - there has also been question marks over atrial fibulation.
The options were to retire him from ridden work or to get a referral to a cardiologist at our nearest vet hospital. The cardiologist is £600 to just be seen - scans and tests on top. He is 23, not insured for anything apart from external injury and I just cannot afford it at the moment.
I stopped riding him immediately, helpfully (?) it coincided with a leg injury that put him off games for a while anyway.
Leg is now looking great and I started doing some in hand walking with him as his brain was just not happy being a field monkey. He adores doing something - no matter what it is - but I just wanted other people's experiences of a G5 murmur ever safely coming back to work? I appreciate without a scan etc. it's impossible to tell...but I want to know if it's be spending upwards of £600 for someone to just confirm he can't (or shouldn't for safety reasons) be ridden.
If you can't tell, I'm struggling to come to terms with it...he's my horse of a lifetime and not ever riding him again breaks my heart...of course I'm hugely grateful he's still happy and with me, but it's tough to bench him forever, esp when he thrives on work.

Sorry you're having to deal with this.
If retirement wouldn't suit him can you continue doing something in-hand such as Le Trec or agility? That way there would be no danger to you if he was taken ill suddenly.

 

[McGrools]

My 17 year old mare has just been diagnosed with an irregular heart beat and murmur. The vets advice is not to ride as the risk is high she could drop at any point. I’m happy for her to retire at this point.
I think at 23 yours is a fair age to retire.

 

[AmyMay]

I would also retire. I certainly wouldn’t ever contemplate getting on board again or going further than the school for a bit of in hand work.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

I would also retire or even PTS. I had one with AF that we retired and he was on digoxin. After a month or so he went downhill rapidly and with hindsight I wish I had pts at the time he had dropped.

 

[Bluewaves]

I retired my boy for this reason at 19. He has thrived in retirement living in a small herd.

 

[lucy_108]

Thanks for all your replies. I agree with you all, just wanted a bit of sense check for my brain and heart to accept it. I'm very lucky that he's still well and enjoying his quieter life. I am still doing a little in hand work with him and short walks out just so he can see something different every once in a while, but that'll be it for him now