How obesity can change a horse’s heart

Arecent study published in the journal Animals suggests that obesity in horses causes structural changes to the animals’ hearts.

While obesity has long been known to cause health problems in animals, this study was aimed at determining whether “microscopic changes occurred in the structure of the hearts and vessels of obese horses”, Horsetalk.co.nz reported.

Nineteen four-year-old draught horses, which were raised by two different breeders for slaughter, were examined in the study. Of these, 12 were considered extremely obese, while the rest were assessed as having a ‘normal’ body condition. The obese animals had been fed 14kg to 18kg of grain each day, while the leaner group had received 7kg to 9kg of oats and hay on a daily basis.

THE EFFECTS ON A HORSE’S HEART

The study showed that the obese horses’ hearts were surrounded by significantly more pronounced layers of pericardial fat than the hearts of the lean horses.

Changes were also present in the structures of the heart muscles and blood vessels of the former. Increased amounts of fat in and around the heart, with blood vessels showing evidence of increased thickening, were also evident in the obese horses.

While the heart structure was examined during the research, cardiac function was not assessed. However, these observed changes to the heart muscle could have a “significant impact on the function of the cardiovascular system, causing not only a decrease in exercise capacity, but also serious consequences that may shorten the animal’s lifespan”.

For more information, email Janine Ryan at janiner@caxton.co.za.