We can take all the precautions in the world with our horses, but there are just some things that we will not be aware of.
We give them shots. Actually, mine see the vet more than I see my doctor. We have the farrier on a regular schedule. We take care to make sure our tack is in good, safe, condition before riding. We watch our footing as best we can. But things can still go very wrong.
In one of the races at Pimlico, before the Preakness was run, a 9 yr. old gelding won his race then collapsed on his way back to the barn and died of a suspected heart attack. My husband and I were at the Meadowlands in New Jersey watching some Standardbred Races, and as the horse my husband bet on crossed the finish line, won the race, he then tried to climb over the rail with the sulky, he dropped dead right there on the track in front of us. In the last couple of weeks a 12 yr. old girl was killed while running for home after the third barrel. Her horse reportedly had a heart attack. When I was hunting up north we had horses drop dead while galloping on the hunt field. I had a lesson horse who, was at a walk in the middle of a drill team exercise. The rider thought he was slipping out in his hind end and called to me. He was actually kicking at his belly, I yelled to the young lady to “get off!!” and as she was doing so, the horse collapsed and was dead in 90 seconds. An apparent aneurism burst. This was a 17 yr old retired hunt horse. To look at him, you would never imagine it. He was a beautiful Thoroughbred, good weight, shiny coat, and healthy. He had a little arthritis from years of doing what he did best. Otherwise, no clues were ever detected.
These are things we can’t predict, and most times, aren’t even aware of. How do we ever know what is going on inside of their bodies. Most of the time we don’t even know what’s going on in our own.
When I was hunting, after knowing that horses do just drop dead while galloping on the hunt field, I started to make sure that my horses had a physical exam before the season began, and then a recheck after the season ended. I would have their heart and lungs checked, and run bloods. Then bloods again at the end of the season, to look for any changes. I wanted to rule out any chance of them just dropping dead. When a horse is galloping, and you are on their back, if he has a heart attack, he will probably flip over onto you. That was the problem with the young girl. They couldn’t get him off of her. You’ve got 1000 lbs of dead weight to deal with, laying on, less than 100 lb., body. That just doesn’t work.
What suggestion can I make? If you are going to be using your horse for cardiovascular competition, have him vet checked. It may cost you a barn call, but what is you life worth? There may be something that is undetectable, but you can always eliminate as much as possible. Of course if you have unlimited funds you can always bring him to an Equine University or Clinic that has all the bells and whistles, and really have things checked out. Will they find everything? I doubt it.
We see this with High School and College athletes dying often with undiagnosed problems. Even though they are required to have a physical before practice begins. Remember, your horse is an athlete too, but it’s not only his life that is at stake, it’s yours too.
My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends that lost that young lady. Both she and her horse crossed the finish line, on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, together.