Upper Airway Conditions Affecting the Equine Athlete

Many abnormalities of the upper airway that can inhibit performance are determined on a critical resting endoscopic evaluation. Some dynamic abnormalities can be seen only during an exercising endoscopic evaluation, which should be performed whenever the history of abnormal noise or performance limitations is not completely consistent with the resting endoscopic findings. Head and neck position may play a critical role in the evaluation process, and the exact position during performance should be reproduced during the clinical examination to definitively define the abnormality. Treatments and prognoses are presented.