Equine “Heart Attacks” Usually Aren’t!By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · June 20, 2011
True “heart attacks” such as those common in humans are extremely rare in horses. Because horses do not often develop coronary artery disease, they almost never suffer myocardial infarction caused by clogged blood vessels that reduce blood flow and result in heart muscle damage. However, some heart maladies—malformation, disruption in nerve signals, inflammatory lesions of the heart muscle or lining) do impact equine health and may cause death in horses. Most cases reported as equine heart attacks are actually death caused by rupture of the aorta near the base of the heart.
