cardiology
Clydesdale's
Big Heart Skips More Than a Beat Leading a team of majestic Clydesdales is Wind-
sor, a special member of the eight-horse team that pulls a historic wagon for the Hallamore Corp. So when he wasn’t himself, not pulling his weight, backing out of the harness, farm manager Ned Niemiec worried about Windsor’s heart. Two other horses in the team had shown these signs in recent years, he said, and the diagnosis had been atrial fibrillation causing an irregular heart rhythm. So when their primary veterinarian suspected the same condition, Mr. Niemiec loaded up Windsor for the seven-hour drive from Lakeville, Mass., to New Bolton Center in Kenneth Square, Pa. “We’ve enjoyed a strong relationship with New Bolton for many years,” said Mr. Niemiec, who manages all aspects of the Hallamore Clydesdales. “We believe in the top, top reputation, especially in the cardiac area.” Virginia Reef, DVM, director of Large Animal Cardiology and Diagnostic Ultrasonography at New Bolton Center, is an expert in equine a-fib. “When a horse has a big heart, atrial fibrillation is more likely,” said Reef, who is also chief of the Section of Sports Medicine and Imaging.
A Horse with Heart
Windsor, foaled in England, is a 12-year-old gelding that weighs more than 2,200 lbs and stands more than 18 hands high. “He’s huge,” Dr. Reef said. Distinctive, with a large white blaze on his face, Windsor is one of 17 Clydesdales that live on the 40acre farm of Dennis Barry, who for nearly 45 years has indulged his passion for the breed with his eighthorse hitch. Mr. Barry owns Hallamore, a heavy-hauling trans-
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Issue 2/2015 | ModernEquineVet.com
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