United States Eventing Association

The USEA Equine Cardiopulmonary Research Group will be conducting a study this weekend at the New Jersey Horse Park as part of the New Jersey Horse Trials I, June 27-28. The Group has been working on improving the testing techniques and the USEA has now purchased additional equipment that will allow for more horses to be included in the study.

In April, Dr. Catherine Kohn updated the membership on the work being done by the Equine Cardiopulmonary Research Group. Dr. Kohn emphasized the importance of getting more horses involved in the study when she said, “This is a small study population that may not reflect findings in a representative population of appropriate size.” Her recommendations for follow up were clear: study many more horses.

Dr. Kohn also stated “The AliveCor ECG Device and App for the iPhone makes it possible to perform a field ECG anywhere that one has a cell phone signal.” A major challenge the group faced was the design and fabrication of a device that “will allow us to record the horse’s ECG at rest, during the warm-up, while on the cross-country, and during the initial phases of the recovery period.” The goal was to do more pilot studies of the newest prototypes throughout the season, and the New Hersey Horse Trials this weekend will be the first of a planned series of studies to continue through the summer.

The USEA would very much appreciate the cooperation of this weekend’s competitors in making horses available for the study. The team of veterinarians will work within your competition schedule and will keep you fully informed every step of the way. All results are completely confidential. Priority will be given to horses competing at the highest levels this weekend, but please do not hesitate to ask the veterinarians if you have a specific concern about your horse. Sign-up sheets and a questionnaire about your horse’s general health will be available on grounds.