I never knew that loosening a girth would cause a horse's pulse to drop.
Of course, I can fit an entire fist between Star and his girth when he is
ready to be mounted. I was stopped by a ride vet before leaving on trail
this summer because he could see daylight between girth and horse. My
jumping instructor always chases after me to tighten it before I go over
fences, it drives her nuts.
Anyway, I learn something new everyday. Who knows, someday I may decide to
tighten my girth. I guess my theory is, the more comfortable Star is, the
better he will do, and a tight band around his middle while he is trying to
breathe just doesn't seem comfortable.
Does anyone know why this drop occurs? Does a tight cinch restrict venous
blood return to the heart, forcing it to pump more often due to less volume
per stroke? Or decrease the amount of air the horse can draw into his
lungs, therefore requiring more volume of blood to be pumped due to
hypoxia? Just curious as to the whys and wherefores...
Shannon Loomis and Quail Meadow Star (who has a "thing" on his nose that
the vet is looking at on Fri - really hoping it is not malignant)