"I'm trying to forget much of the Covid-19 period," says Professor Kamalan Jeevaratnam, Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey. "But one big takeaway for clinician scientists like me is that there is always more we can do to communicate to the general public the very many and various ways that animal health and animal welfare can have real impacts on all our lives."
Heart of the matter
"We are a young Vet School, but we are fiercely ambitious and the One Health, One Medicine approach is embedded in our research and teaching culture," adds Professor Jeevaratnam (pictured). "This means that, while we focus on studying diseases, disorders and injury in animals, we believe at our core that insights into animal health nudge us in the right direction when thinking about human health and our own welfare."
Equine (horse) health is one area where this One Health, One Medicine approach can be seen in full effect. This is where Kamalan, who leads Surrey’s One Health Cardiology Research Group, is undertaking research into equine heart problems, including cardiac arrhythmia.
"Sadly, there are a lot of cases every year of horses collapsing during or after a race where cardiac conditions are potentially a cause," explains Kamalan. "Exercise-associated sudden death (EASD) in racing horses is hard to predict and devastating for these horses and the racing industry. Within our group we are trying to identify a cardiac link, and then hopefully ways we can help predict horses at risk.”
But how does this issue with horses relate to humans?
"We have had very high-profile cases of elite sports people collapsing on the sports field because of heart issues – like Christian Eriksen and Fabrice Muamba – but these incidents are rare in humans. Racing horses offer us useful insight into how high-performing athletic hearts cope with such demands, and if we can understand, predict and treat equine rhythm disturbances, this will pave the way for greater insight into similar human conditions."
Setting the pace
Another example of Surrey Vet School's forward-thinking research involves a horse named Ted's Friend.
In May 2025, Ted's Friend became the first horse to wear a heart monitor during a race on a British racecourse. This project, a collaboration with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), used a commercially available device to collect real-time cardiovascular data during competitions. The data will be valuable in Surrey’s research focused on reducing the risk of EASD.
"The data we collected from Ted's Friend’s device is very valuable," explains Kamalan. "And that wouldn't have been possible without the support of industry and particularly the British Horseracing Association (BHA).
"And this is a story that repeats itself throughout many of our projects – our researchers working in lockstep with industry."
Building on this collaboration, and thanks to support from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, our Group has also been exploring the use of AI. Researchers at Surrey have developed a tool that can flag horses at risk of developing a common rhythm abnormality – atrial fibrillation.
This builds on from another previous innovation – an award-winning tool that uses machine learning to analyse ECGs from horses and detect heart rhythm abnormalities. Funded by the Pet Plan Charitable Trust, the tool could be integrated into digital ECG devices in veterinary practice and may also have applications in human health – again underlining the One Health, One Medicine approach.
"Another project that excites me is one that goes back to the fundamental basis of how the heart works. Our efforts to map the equine genes that control cardiac rhythm in health and disease," says Kamalan. "We are looking to map gene and protein expression patterns within horse heart chambers, revealing differences in the genes that control electrical conduction and muscle contraction."
Once again, this project was made possible thanks to Surrey’s partnership with, and the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Welfare Research Foundation. The One Health Cardiology Research Group has been working closely with clinicians in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK to gain samples and clinical data to grow their sample bank for this project.
“These genetic insights complement our growing understanding of how horse hearts adapt to extreme exercise. Given the horse's ability to handle wide heart rate ranges and the strong similarities in heart conditions between horses and humans, this research could help improve screening and prevent sudden cardiac death in human athletes.”
The work has already attracted attention with early translational work ongoing at Surrey. Kamalan received a Confidence in Concept funding from the Medical Research Council to extend his work in horses to humans. He is now recruiting human patients with and without atrial fibrillation in England.
Going with your gut
In addition to the School's equine work that focuses on the heart, the gut is also drawing significant attention. In 2024, Chris Proudman (pictured), Professor of Veterinary Clinical Science and former Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine, made headlines with his research into the gut health of Thoroughbred horses.
"Yes – foals who had diverse bacteria in the stool samples had fewer episodes of illness and tended to perform better in their races," explains Chris. "While I understand that this excited folks who were looking for an advantage in this lucrative business, what it told us about general horse health is what I valued the most."
His team analysed 438 faecal samples from 52 foals, looking at their health from birth to age three. They checked for respiratory, gastrointestinal, orthopaedic and soft-tissue problems, and linked this with race performance data like finishing positions, official ratings and prize money.
They found that foals with more diverse bacteria at one month old were healthier and performed better in races later in life. Higher levels of Anaeroplasmataceae were linked to stronger official ratings, and Bacillaceae at 28 days were linked to better race placings.
The researchers also looked at the long-term effects of early antibiotic use. Foals given antibiotics in their first month had lower bacterial diversity and went on to win less prize money. They were also more likely to develop respiratory disease later.
"This was a ground-breaking study that highlighted just how important gut health is in our very young foals,” Dr Kirsten Rausing, Chairman of the International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation and study sponsor via the ALBORADA Trust. “As breeders, if we can get this right, we will produce foals that will be healthier, and that will grow into more successful racehorses."
Work is already underway to develop new probiotics to support foal gut health, and to find ways to use antibiotics without harming it.
The Horse Microbiome Research Group at the Vet School is continuing this work through the ALBORADA Well Foal Study II. The group is also exploring other aspects of horse health, including identifying the links between the horse gut bacteria and respiratory tract, plus research into identifying biomarkers for equine grass sickness, a severe and often fatal neurodegenerative disease predominantly affecting grazing horses.
Now, the two groups are joining forces. In 2025, Chris and Kamalan submitted a joint funding application to the HBLB for a £600,000 project exploring a possible link between gut microbes and atrial fibrillation in racehorses. The research will look at the role of gut-derived metabolites in heart rhythm disturbances, collecting samples from horses with and without arrhythmias. If successful, the findings could support earlier diagnosis of heart problems and reduce the risk of sudden death during exercise through dietary interventions that modify gut bacterial communities. There is nothing to stop the team from extending this study into humans and plans are underway to explore this opportunity with selected funders.
Looking ahead
As Kamalan reflects on the future, his focus remains on impact – for animals and for people.
"I want our efforts at this University to lead to a world where horses have a full and happy life," he says. "But I also want a world where people appreciate and are mindful of the health of horses – and other animals of course."
He continues: "What we’re doing here – whether it’s wearable heart monitors providing training data, AI-driven diagnostics for arrhythmias or work on gut health in foals – is already making a difference. It’s helping horses live healthier lives and it’s improving how we think about medical care in people too. That’s the kind of progress that keeps us going."
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