No Room to Breathe: Airway Conditions Affecting the Equine Athlete

During exercising endoscopy, head flexion has been shown to be an important predisposing factor for upper respiratory tract collapse and is associated with conflict behaviour. Based on the substantial number of studies on the impact of hyperflexed postures on horse welfare, it was recently suggested for further research to be done on the physiological/psychological effects of a lesser degree of flexion. Our group evaluated horses ridden in two very close head positions and were able to identify significant differences for various parameters.