Stress echocardiography and its role in performance assessment

Stress echocardiography in the horse is in its infancy, and investigations need to continue to determine the significance and mechanism of postexercis e echocardiographic abnormalities detected in horses. This work should be c oupled with investigations on the exercise-induced changes in cardiac isoen zymes, cTnI, arterial oxygen content, and cardiac rhythm that may occur con currently. With continued investigations into the cardiovascular problems t hat occur in the exercising horse, the sport horse veterinarian should be b etter able to accurately diagnose and treat problems causing poor performan ce in the horse.