Endoscopic evaluation of the equine upper airway enables diagnosis of conditions causing exercise intolerance and respiratory noise, guiding welfare-improving surgical and management interventions.
Upper airway conditions cause exercise-induced respiratory distress that may not be recognized by owners who attribute poor performance to fitness or reluctance. Horses pushed to work through significant airway restriction experience respiratory distress analogous to exercise with partial airway obstruction. Diagnosis through endoscopy identifies treatable conditions that restore normal breathing during exercise. Welfare improvement from appropriate surgical correction can be substantial in horses with significant laryngeal paralysis. Accurate pre-purchase endoscopic assessment prevents buyers unknowingly acquiring horses with significant welfare-compromising airway conditions.