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Originally Posted by Angelamc
I want to know more about how a horse gets a heart attack?
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They don't get heart attacks like a human does - that's just a commonly used term. Typically there is an aneurysm or aorta rupture which essentially results in cardiac failure. There is research being done to try and confirm what causes these events but it's hard to do for ethical reasons and researchers have to rely on post-mortem information. One theory is an un diagnosed heart condition (that could be asymptomatic) - think like a high school athlete who suddenly dies during physical activity. It's often due to an undiagnosed and a symptomatic heart condition. If a horse suffers from one of these conditions, it's only a matter of time before something happens - could be running freely in the field, could be racing on a track. I'll try and find some links/sources.
The stampede recently introduced new rules requiring rigorous vet examinations prior to racing which are supposed to try and identify any health conditions prior to racing - a number of horses were banned from racing last year because of it. It's not a perfect system but it's a step in the right direction.