You may have spent countless hours searching the countryside looking for that special horse that suits you and your ability. The vet has been and now you have the news that you were dreading, something amiss. The horse has in this case what is commonly referred to as broken wind. The medical terminology for this condition could fall under one of the three main most common respiratory disorders, Laryngeal Hemipelgia, Dorsal displacement of the soft palate or Epiglottal entrapment but there are other functional disorders that present as an abnormality in airway function.

The attending vet will have already given you a diagnosis regarding the severity and type of condition that your future prospect has presented with, so the question now is where do you go from here?

Firstly consider exactly what the intended use of the horse will be, consider all the factors that made you select the particular horse in the first place, temperament, education and most of all rideability. Before you pass over a horse that may be perfect to YOUR NEEDS in every other way, taking into account that you will not be eventing, racing or competing for your country, take a step back and look at some facts regarding these conditions.

Laryngeal Hemipelgia (Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RNL) roaring, whistling

What is it? In a normal horse during fast breathing the arytenoids cartilages and vocal cords on each side of the larynx are pulled to the side, out of the midline, by contraction of the laryngeal muscles in order to open the airway and allow air to flow into the lungs without restriction. In horses with RNL there is a certain amount of nerve damage present to the left side of the larynx, resulting in the muscles becoming partially or totally paralysed. This paralysis prevents the arytenoids and vocal cords being pulled to the side, instead they are sucked over almost to the other side creating a negative pressure during inspiration. Air becomes turbulent over the paralysed area and creates the abnormal noise.

The roarer makes a low-pitched sound especially evident at canter and the whistler a high pitched noise, resulting restricted blood flow and therefore interference with oxygenation of the blood.

Fifty percent of horses over 17hh show signs of this disease and although if you were looking to purchase a racehorse, high level eventer or performance horse, the fitness required may be a deciding factor in your decision to purchase, horses performing at lower level activities can work satisfactorily and productively without any major problems.

Dorsal Displacement (DDSp, gurgling or choking up)

This is a condition whereby the horse’s larynx (normally enclosed by the soft palate) becomes detached and the free border of the larynx vibrates in front of the larynx resulting in a partial obstruction of the laryngeal opening, creating the gurgling noise, mostly seen in horses working at speed, but also can present in horses that are flexed at the poll. The exact cause of this condition is unknown but symptoms can be indicative of the fitness level of the horse, including fatigue, abnormalities of airways, teeth and mouth problems and excessive flexion of the poll. Bear in mind that young horses may grow out of this condition and fitness can also present a cure. If the problem is caused by airway abnormalities there are surgical options that can be discussd with your veterinarian.

Epiglottal Entrapment

A fold of loose tissue that would normally sit under the epiglottis, flips upwards and becomes hooked over the epiglottis. This can present in various ways such as an intolerance to exercise, abnormal breathing noises, or an intermittent gurgling when working or possibly coughing when eating. Surgery has a high success rate.