Very Common
Less Common
You also might be observing
Observation
What you see. The starting point for addressing any equine health related issue is your observation.
YOU ARE OBSERVING
Rapid Pulse Persists Longer Than Normal after Exercise
Summary
The body regulates heart (pulse) rate dependent upon a variety of signals. The goal is for the tissues to be adequately oxygenated and for waste products of cell metabolism to be adequately removed.
If fitness is poor, the pathways that lead to this exchange are not well developed, and so gas exchange is poor. Signals are sent out from the tissues in the blood to ask for more bloodflow. The heart's contribution to this is to beat faster and with more force. The pulse rate corresponds to the heart rate.
A rapid pulse is normal with exercise. It should also drop at a given rate once exercise is finished. A pulse that remains higher than expected, even after rest, suggests lack of fitness, or could indicate a variety of other physical and metabolic problems. Pain and anxiety are two stimuli which keep the heart rate elevated.
If fitness is poor, the pathways that lead to this exchange are not well developed, and so gas exchange is poor. Signals are sent out from the tissues in the blood to ask for more bloodflow. The heart's contribution to this is to beat faster and with more force. The pulse rate corresponds to the heart rate.
A rapid pulse is normal with exercise. It should also drop at a given rate once exercise is finished. A pulse that remains higher than expected, even after rest, suggests lack of fitness, or could indicate a variety of other physical and metabolic problems. Pain and anxiety are two stimuli which keep the heart rate elevated.
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Code Red
Call Your Vet Immediately, Even Outside Business Hours- If the horse is reluctant to move, along with this sign.
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Code Yellow
Contact Your Vet at Your Convenience for an Appointment- If this is the only sign and the horse seems normal otherwise.
- If the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) suggest the horse is otherwise normal.
your role
What To Do
Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), paying particular attention to whether the horse is reluctant to move, or seems depressed. Contact your vet with your findings and concerns.
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
Your vet uses careful physical examination, assessment of your horse before and after exercise, and other diagnostics to rule out common causes for this observation.
Questions Your Vet Might Ask:
- What signs do you see specifically?
- When did you first notice this?
- Does the horse's attitude and appetite seem normal?
- What is the horse's exercise and performance history leading up to this?
- Do you notice respiratory noise when the horse is ridden?
- Do you notice lameness or suspect any other physical problems?
- When did the horse last perform to your expectations?
- Do you consider the horse to be fit?
- Does the horse have a cough?
- What are the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE)?
- What is the horse's heart rate and respiratory rate?
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
Very Common
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Poor Conditioning
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Tying-Up, Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis
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Heat Exhaustion or Stroke
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Exhausted Horse Syndrome, EHS
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Within Normal Limits, Normal for this Horse
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Colic, Undiagnosed Conditions Causing
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Mitral Valve Regurgitation Insufficiency
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Cardiac (Heart) Valvular Disease
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Respiratory Conditions, Generally
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Myopathy & Muscle Conditions, Generally
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Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy, PSSM
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Lameness, Conditions Causing, Generally
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Conditions Affecting Red Blood Cells, Generally
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Heart Conditions, Generally
Less Common
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)
Very Common
