Heart Murmurs

ClumsyPonyPF

ClumsyPonyPF

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I’m interested to hear peoples experience with horses with heart murmurs. Ideally positive stories I know all of the negatives of them just wanting to hear stories of horses keeping going with them?
 
No personal experience but we do have a 30 year old TB ex racer at my yard with a grade 5 murmur, which he's had for a good few years now. He is still in regular light work and totally enjoying life.

As far as management goes he is listened to. When its hot he does less. If its too much he gets a but puffed out. Its a case of asking for more when he can and backing off when he can't. When its cold.... he needs a gag to stop!!

I hope that helps.
 
I sold a mare many years ago that showed a murmur at vetting, I had no idea, she was young, probably about 8, and they wanted her as a pleasure horse, the vet advised them to buy as it was low grade but I cannot remember which, she went on to do low level endurance and after a few years the murmur had gone, I lost contact with them so no idea what happened longer term.
 
My horse failed his vetting aged 5 as he had a murmur, didn't go away with exercise. Owners said if he wasn't sold they would have him back as a hack (was being sold by someone on their behalf). Initially I walked away, but couldn't stop thinking about him so took a punt and bought him at a reduced price. He is now 21 and never had any issues, neither has any other vet ever picked up the murmur. Has evented, team chased and drag hunted over the years and always been easy to get and keep fit.
 
We used to own a fantastic 13hh pony who was in his late teens when he came to us. He had a slight, but noticeable, murmer on vetting, but vet said it was not enough to worry about at his age.
He went on to compete, with numerous different children, over about 15 years, up to 1m+ SJ, eventing and latterly was a top mounted games pony.
Always very speedy and sharp, you'd never have known he had any issue.
The murmer was checked regularly, it got slowly worse over the years, and in the last few (he'd have been in his 30s) he did feel the heat, but it never stopped him.
Vets said that horses have a lot of spare heart capacity that they can keep going even when it is much reduced.
 
I had my oldie vaccinated by a new vet last year and she mentioned that she had a murmur, no one else had ever said anything about it and this is a horse that has seen lots of vets over the years :rolleyes3: and had surgery under GA so been quite thoroughly examined. The vet said that it's not uncommon for older horses to develop a murmur but that it was nothing to worry about. Just mentioning in case yours is an older horse.
 
Thank you for all of your replies.

Mine is 18 and his murmur appeared randomly it is a higher grade than mentioned. Im just interested in peoples experiences as ive been keeping him just hacking but he seems so fit and well and coping amazingly I feel like he's wasted! So intrigued for other peoples opinions!

(Obviously am in regular contact with the vet but just after peoples experiences!)
 
Lots of horses have heart murmurs, but they are supposed to go when exercised! Sometimes they can occur after illness, and I have heard of one that had iron deficiency, it was only discovered when it was being vetted for sale, having been showing all summer pulling a carriage! It recovered with treatment. Other murmurs are just there, or as yours is, comes with age. I think a vet would advise you if it isn't safe to do too much.
 
Vet is happy with what I am doing and is great support. I just hear mutterings of people doing more than I am so intrigued to know, Im very protective so would never push him too far but when I see what he does on his own in the field I feel sometimes I am maybe being a little precious! ha!
 
At my 23yr olds vaccination I was told he had a Grade 4 heart murmur. I was advised for him to see a cardiologist but I couldn’t see the point. I’m just riding as normal but we don’t do much but hack out and I don’t take him anywhere exciting as he’s a bit of a dick and I didn’t want him pulling a tendon or dropping dead from a heart attack even before I knew about the murmur!

The other day he was a complete knob and I trotted all the way up this steep hill bent to the right because he would have bogged off or bucked or both if I let him get his head In front. No sign of heart or fitness problems there :D
 
Just as a sideline.. next time your vet is out, ask to have a listen. If its a high grade murmur it will be easily heard with the untrained ear and its an oddly fascinating sound.
 
My current 10 yr old has one and I would hate to think how much more energy he would have without it. Akin to the energizer bunny on steroids! Last horse had one too, didn't worry him a bit and he lived to be 21 and died from cancer, but heart still going strong until the end. By coincidence I have one too. Has done me no harm at all. My GP and vets all said just a weird noise and nothing to worry about.
So I don't worry and just get on with it. Apparently it's quite common in horses. Hope your horse is OK ClumsyPony 😃
 
OH's TB developed a grade 4 murmur rapidly (did not have one in May had it 3 months later) he was echoed and exercise ECGed the cardiology vet advised that he only did light work. As he was only lightly hacked by novice rider (OH) we retired him, he hoons flat out around the field but if he drops dead so be it. He was 19 when he developed it and the echo showed a fairly spectacular aortic valve regurgitation. If there is a vet student in tow when any vets come for anything on my yard they are always sent to have a listen!!
 
Gusbear said:
My current 10 yr old has one and I would hate to think how much more energy he would have without it. Akin to the energizer bunny on steroids! Last horse had one too, didn't worry him a bit and he lived to be 21 and died from cancer, but heart still going strong until the end. By coincidence I have one too. Has done me no harm at all. My GP and vets all said just a weird noise and nothing to worry about.
So I don't worry and just get on with it. Apparently it's quite common in horses. Hope your horse is OK ClumsyPony ��
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Do you mind me asking the grades of the murmurs? And what you do/did with them?
Horse in question turned 18 today and still took off with me across a field and did his fair share of sideways jogging!!
 
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