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Learn More About The Most Common Laryngeal Functions and Diseases Can Affect Your Horse and How We Can Help You Succeed!

Join Me On The Complete Horseman's Guide to The Equine Larynx

Larynx and upper airway problems in horses are a common performance-limiting factor worldwide.

In this series, I will be talking about the Larynx. Each series will focus on a different athletic limiting issues for horses.

Alberto Rullan, VMD

We Can Provide Full Service From Consulting to Diagnosing to Treating all Equine Airway Problems.

Below is a guide for horsemen and horsewomen to have a good understanding of airway problems in horses, how can they affect their performance, and what can be done about them. This is by no means all the possible problems of the larynx but a nice guide.

The Larynx

Anatomy

This picture has marked the normal arytenoid cartilages and a normal epiglotis.

Anatomy

This picture has marked the normal arytenoid cartilages and a normal epiglotis.

Anatomy

This picture has marked the normal arytenoid cartilages in the close position and a normal epiglotis

Normal

This video shows normal anatomy of the larynx. The most common anatomical structures to get familiarized with are the arytenoid cartilages, epiglotis, vocal cords, pharinx

Normal Video #2

Intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate

Intermittent displacement of the soft palate can cause abnormal respiratory noise. Should this problem not fix conservatively wtih tongue tie or figure 8 then surgical correction is indicated.

Epiglotic entrapment

This video shows an epiglottic entrapment

Epiglotitis and cyst

Intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate

Intermittent displacement of the soft palate can cause abnormal respiratory noise. Should this problem not fix conservatively wtih tongue tie or figure 8 then surgical correction is indicated.

Ventro Axial Luxation of the Apex of the Corniculate Process

This video shows a larynx with mild ventroaxial luxation of the apex of the corniculate process of the arytenoid cartilage in resting horses. This is relatively rare and sometimes its believed to lead to airway disfunction

Chondritis

This video shows what a throat with moderate to severe condhritis would look like. The prognosis for future athletic performance for this horse is poor. Possible treatments include antibiotics, and extensive nebulizations.

Grade 2B

Notice how one of the arytenoids (in the case the left one of the horse, which is on the right of the screen) takes a while to open (abduct). This is considered 2 B function.

Additional examples of laryngeal conditions

Grade 1 Function

In this video we can appreciate a normal laryngeal function (grade 1), very strong epiglottis and a subjectively normal size (size is not a research-proven diagnosis)

Grade 3 function (Left side)