This cardiac technology gives Virginia horse owners answers
When Erin Hershey's veterinarian detected a heart murmur in Charlie, her 15-year-old Tennessee walking horse, the diagnosis brought immediate anxiety.
Hershey used Charlie for lessons with children. He was her trusted trail companion. After four decades with horses, she'd never had one develop cardiac issues before.
The questions came fast: Could he still be ridden safely? Was he at risk of collapse? Should she retire him immediately, or could he continue the work he loved?
At the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, those questions now have definitive answers thanks to specialized cardiac equipment that can determine whether a horse's heart can handle the demands of riding, jumping, or trail work.
The equine medical center in Leesburg is one of three teaching hospitals and animal health care facilities of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, based in Blacksburg.
Cardiac testing matters for rider safety
Most horse owners have never heard of exercising electrocardiography.
This specialized cardiac testing was primarily only used in research settings and at racehorse facilities, requiring complex equipment and controlled conditions that made it impractical for most veterinary practices to use.
Unlike people, horses can't tell you when their chests feel tight or they have shortness of breath. They compensate, they push through, they try to please. By the time performance issues appear, cardiac problems may have been developing for months.
"When we have a horse with a heart issue and they're being ridden, we want to make sure that the horse is going to be healthy, but also that the rider is going to be as safe as possible," said Krista Estell, clinical associate professor and diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
The exercising electrocardiogram performs stress tests while horses move naturally, determining whether animals with heart conditions can safely continue their work.
But here's what makes the equine medical center's capability unique: The combination of specialized cardiac equipment with the 21,000-square-foot Jane and Stephen Hale Equine Performance Evaluation Center creates the controlled environment necessary for accurate, repeatable cardiac stress testing.
The veterinary team at the Equine Medical Center, led by Krista Estell, performs an echocardiogram on Charlie.
Anxiety meets technology and controlled conditions
Before the center's current capabilities existed, obtaining cardiac answers required scheduling multiple appointments, arranging weather-dependent farm calls, and hoping for favorable outdoor conditions to allow for accurate testing.
"This is the only location in Virginia where you can get an echocardiogram and an exercising ECG done on the same day," Estell said.
The 21,000-square-foot facility offers various surfaces and consistent conditions, regardless of the weather — crucial factors when attempting to obtain accurate readings of how a horse's heart responds to controlled exercise.
On Charlie's evaluation day, temperatures hit above 90 degrees outside, but it was much cooler under the fans and out of the direct sun inside the arena.
"This arena is great because it gives us a fairly climate-controlled environment. Even on a hot day like today, it's safer for the horses," Estell said. "So I can ask him to work at a higher level than I would if we were out in the hot sun."
Charlie's evaluation revealed mild to moderate mitral valve regurgitation —a manageable age-related condition that means he can continue to be ridden.
Hershey watched the entire process unfold in the climate-controlled space, gaining real-time insight into her horse's condition.
"The technology here, the work that all of the veterinarians and the veterinary technicians and the staff here do is incredible," Hershey said. "As a horse owner, I can fully understand my horse's issues."
From clients to champions
The equipment that diagnosed Charlie exists because Glenn and Mary Fruehan know exactly what Hershey felt waiting for those results.
In 2015, Mary Fruehan’s horse needed treatment for lameness at the equine medical center (EMC). What began as a single veterinary visit evolved into something much larger — not because of the medical outcome, but because of how the care was delivered.
"Through our rewarding experiences over the next couple of years, we became more interested in the services that EMC provided," Glenn Fruehan said. "We wanted to become involved supporters."
The Fruehans' investment in cardiac equipment wasn't driven by medical necessity — their horse never had heart problems. It was driven by understanding that other horse owners would face cardiac diagnoses with the same anxiety they'd felt during their horse's treatment.
The Fruehans now serve on the center's advisory council, watching their investment create opportunities that didn't exist when their own horse needed treatment.
"Seeing EMC grow in what they can provide to other horse lovers is a passion," Mary Fruehan said, "and it provides a lot of joy to us."
To assess Charlie’s heart, the team suits him up with EKG equipment which monitors his heart as he moves around the arena.
A comprehensive approach
Before the combination of cardiac equipment and the indoor arena, conducting comprehensive heart evaluations often came with logistical nightmares. Veterinarians loaded portable equipment into trucks, hoped farm conditions would cooperate, and tried to get consistent results despite constantly changing variables.
The equine medical center's specialized equipment, housed within the climate-controlled arena, transformed this uncertainty into precision. Estell can now provide consistent, repeatable cardiac testing, regardless of weather or external factors, and sees multiple patients daily in controlled conditions.
"Previously, what I would have to do is arrange to travel out to see the horse on the farm," Estell explained. "I would not have been able to fit Charlie in on a busy day like today."
The arena's different surfaces allow veterinarians to observe how a horse's heart responds to varying levels of stress and impact — from firmer surfaces for initial assessment to the softer sandy surface in the arena for maximum stress testing. This comprehensive approach wasn't possible in traditional farm settings.
The veterinary team observes Charlie while he moves around the arena wearing the EKG equipment.
Peace of mind
Charlie will return for annual monitoring, where the consistent testing environment will allow precise tracking of his condition over time.
For Hershey, the experience reinforced both her confidence in the equine medical center.
"Coming here and seeing this arena is really a game changer," she said. "There is definitely nothing like this around."
The Fruehans continue their support, understanding that each case like Charlie's represents something larger: Proof that individual decisions to give can transform entire fields of veterinary medicine.
The facility serves the broader mission of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, training the next generation of veterinarians on equipment and techniques that will become the standard of practice.
