Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (roaring) is a common condition in large horses that causes exercise intolerance and respiratory noise, with welfare implications for both untreated animals and surgical management.
Laryngeal hemiplegia welfare involves the horse's experience of exercise with a partially obstructed airway - a state analogous to exercising with partial airway restriction in humans. During intense work, affected horses may experience significant respiratory distress with associated hypoxemia. The welfare decision around surgical management weighs the risks of general anesthesia and post-operative complications against the welfare benefit of improved airway function. Horses asked to perform at levels that cause respiratory distress are experiencing welfare compromise that owners and trainers may normalize as acceptable performance limitation.