Equine Athletes: The Science Behind a Racehorse’s Heart and Speed

There are no other athletes on the planet that are as spectacular as racehorses. Lovers of horse racing will be aware of the care and love that goes into crafting a champion thoroughbred behind the scenes, as they live a life of luxury in the stables, with staff caring to their every need.

Training horses to compete at the highest level can often be challenging, as getting the very best out of superbly bred runners can be a tiring effort.

Due to the passion of fans, it is little surprise that the biggest events on the calendar are well-attended, with bettors typically keen to find out more about the TwinSpires promotions . However, what are the staggering statistics that make racehorses among the most impressive athletes on the planet?

One of the most impressive factors surrounding horses are the size of their heart, so much so that it dwarfs the average human anatomy. Not just that, but it is extremely hard-working to pump blood around the body.

The range of heart beats is also amazing, with most equines having a resting average of 30 bpm. However, this can rise to a remarkable 240 bpm when racehorses are in action on the track.

The size of the job that the heart completes is reflected by the fact that a horse’s heart pumps 35 litres of blood per minute, which is a vastly inferior rate than the five litres of blood that is transmitted through a human body.

It is little surprise that some of the world’s greatest thoroughbreds have been found to have larger horses than most equines. One of the biggest ever recorded was found inside Eclipse.

The superstar runner’s heart weighed an extraordinary 14 points (6.4 kg). His ability to pump more blood around his body was a key trait in his successful career, which included victories in the October King’s Plate and the Worcester King’s Plate. His reputation continues to be lofty to this day, with one of the main races on the British calendar named in his honor.

However, the largest heart ever found in the horse’s body came in the 1970s, as it was revealed that Secretariat’s had a mass of 10kg. The world’s famous runner is still regarded as one of the best horses of all-time, and is one of the few winners of the Triple Crown.

Unlike humans, thoroughbreds are bred for life on the track, meaning that their hearts have adapting and evolved throughout history. All thoroughbreds will posses a high VO2 Max, which means that they are able to take in more oxygen to pump around their body.

A higher VO2 Max indicates a horse that is able to run quicker for a longer period of time with a lower heart rate. In fact, racehorses excel against even animals of similar sizes when considering the VO2 Max levels that they are able to reach.

Due to the sheer size of the heart, there are typically issues that can develop inside racehorses that impact their ability to train and compete at the highest level. One of the most common comes in the form of murmurs, which is an abnormal blood flow.

Between 30 and 40% of racehorses have this issue, but for the vast majority it wouldn’t impact their career on track. However, monitoring the issue is key to ensuring that the horse can lead a safe and healthy life both on track and back at the stables.

Having a powerful heart that is capable of working with vast amounts of blood is the first key to having a successful racehorse. However, for the most part, thoroughbreds’ hearts will all be similar in size, meaning that there is no huge advantage. Therefore, there are a number of other factors that could contribute to a runner achieving dominance on the track.

The vast majority revolve around the breeding of horses, with genetics being passed down through generations being the blueprint behind success on track. Horses will also have efficient musculoskeletal systems, which is capable of working in unison with the massive hearts that thoroughbreds have. This will also have a direct impact on the stride patterns that horses can travel with. However, the key to building a champion racehorse largely revolves around the training that they complete. World leading trainers are able to take perfectly bred runners and get the very best out of them.

This will revolve around building the cardiovascular fitness in a horse, ensuring that they are able to peak at just the right time. But, it is also worth noting that horses have a mind of their own, and the difference between the great and legendary horses is the mentality of the thoroughbreds themselves. 

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