Echocardiographic measurement of cart horses in the metropolitan region of Curitiba-PR

Abstract

In order to maintain the horses’ performance during the exercise, their hearts adapt to the variations on metabolic activity, resulting in muscular adaptation. Thus, echocardiography allows to assess on both eventual adaptations of heart tissue and impairment of the ability to pump blood. Little is yet known about echocardiography in cart horses, whose general conditions of health and treatment are often inappropriate to the type of exercise they are submitted to. The goal of this study was to establish echocardiographic numbers for cart horses. Nineteen mongrel horses were submitted for echocardiographic examination, and values of the distance from E point (maximum opening mitral valve) to the interventricular septum; diameter of left ventricle cavity, interventricular septum thickness and thickness of left ventricle free wall during systole and diastole, fractional shortening and ejection fraction were obtained by M-mode. In the 2D images, diameter of the aortic valve and left atrium were evaluated, and their relationship. The velocities of the blood flow were evaluated in aorta and pulmonary artery and the mitral valve by means of Doppler, and possible insufficiency was detected through the color Doppler. Mean values for echocardiographic parameters were established considering 19 traction horses that worked pulling cart loads. There were no significant values that indicated either an inappropriate cardiac remodeling, a left ventricular dysfunction – with consequent decrease in exercises performance – or diseases that affect the animal’s performance at work.

Keywords

• Equine cardiology; Echocardiography; Cartwright; Animal traction