Background:

Cardiovascular parameters may vary between breeds and physiological stages, hindering the cardiovascular evaluation in horses.

Objective:

Standardize electrocardiographic (ECG) and arterial pressure (AP) parameters in creole horses from the Bogota Savannah.

Methods:

100 male and female horses were evaluated, divided into four groups (n=25 each) according to age: group 1 (G1), between 6 months and 1 year old; group 2 (G2), between 1 and 4 years old; group 3 (G3), between 4 and 10 years old; and group 4 (G4), over 10 years old. Bipolar, unipolar and precordial leads in ECG, as well as systolic AP (SAP), mean AP (MAP), and diastolic AP (DAP) were evaluated in all groups.

Results:

99 animals showed sinus rhythm, among which one female from G2 and one from G4 exhibited left fascicles anterior block; a female from G3 had sinus arrhythmia and one female from G2 evidenced 3 premature ventricular complexes. The presence of a unique and positive P wave, a QRS complex of the QR type and a biphasic T wave, were the most common in all groups. A significant decrease in the cardiac axis was observed in G1 when compared to the other groups. The G1 group showed a significant increase in heart rate, SAP, MAP and DAP values.

Conclusions:

Taking into account the environmental conditions and how the investigation was developed, it is possible to conclude that creole horses from the Bogotá Savannah differ in their cardiovascular parameters in relation to age.