The function of the cardiovascular system is to transport oxygen to the blood and then the muscles. Equipped with a hypertrophied heart (the weight of the heart represents about 8% of its total mass compared with 4.5% in man), the horse enjoys a very developed heart rate amplitude (X7 between rest and effort). The heart rate is 30 to 40 beats per minute at rest and can rise to 220 beats per minute during significant efforts.
The consequence of this cardiac output is hyperventilation involved in the muscle performance mechanism.
As for man, the horse in need of exercise may be subject to various cardiovascular diseases such as infarction, the creation of blood clots...
