Anna is a 10 year old Arab mare - pure Crabbet bloodlines - and we have
been competing for 4 years - first limited distance competitive trail
rides (ECTRA), then limited distance and longer distance, then the 3rd
year multiday competitive rides, with two 50-mile endurance thrown in at
the end of the season (one top ten!). This year I thought we would
mostly do endurance,
and started with one 50-mile (hottest day in June, in Vermont), and
finished fine - I started her slow, and at the end of the pack, and ended
up in 15th place - three weeks prior to that we had done a 3-day
competitive ride, and three weeks prior to that a two-day 50 mile.
When I bumped her up to do one day 100 miles, we started running into our
"problem" - Anna has always had a heart murmur - her pulse has always
been about 12 beats higher than most horses - her resting pulse is never
below 44, but her working pulse (steady fast trot) is around 130-142, and
her gallop will register at 155. She recovers fast - usually takes me
two minutes coming into a hold to drop to 58-60.
Our first 50-mile endurance this year was very hot and humid, and we had
no problems with the pulse until the completion, when she hung at 68 and
would not drop for 35 minutes - very unusual for her, she didn't appear
to be distressed or overly hot, but the vet who finally gave us our
completion (he said she was one of the truly sound horses on the ride)
-with a final pulse of 60- said that her mumur was affected by the
humidity, and asked whether or not we had ever had her worked up for a
functional or dysfunctional murmur. We had not.
The next endurance was the VT-100, and again, it was hot and humid, we
went slow, had a really good day, until at mile 60 she would not drop
below 68 again, and her CRI was 17 - and the vets eliminated us at that
point. Again, she was totally sound, no other problems, all A scores.
three weeks later, we entered a two day 100 - first day very hot and
humid again - no problems again, went through the day in 4th place, did
not make it to the second day due to the 50-mile hold (overnite hold),
she again hung at 68, CRI 17/18, and at the end of 30 minutes, her pulse
was 60 with a CRI of 18 - and we were pulled. Again, all A scores, no
dehydration, no lameness, and lots of energy to go on - of course, the
next day was cool and breezy, but by that time, she was running out to
pasture with her buddies!
We have an appointment to take her to Rochester to have an EKG and
ultrasound of her heart - We have more races scheduled for later in the
season, but at this point, I don't even want to attempt them, because not
only am I concerned, but she gets so darned depressed when everyone else
goes on without her - however, her problems don't even show up until mile
50, and she is so strong in every other way (she just goes, and goes, and
goes) - we have (ANNA and I) put so much time into our program, that it
is discouraging - everyone says for me to stay with limited distance, and
competitive rides (we really like endurance), and look for another horse
- which is also depressing, we're a "team" -
Any of you out there have any suggestions?
tia-Kathy and Anna
brunjes@saturn.caps.maine.edu