Breathe Easier with FLAIR® Strips
FLAIR Strips don't help horses breathe in more air; they enable horses to take in the same amount of air with less work.
The Stuffy Nose Analogy: Think about the difference between breathing through a stuffy nose versus when your nose is clear. When your nose is narrow or obstructed, every breath requires more effort. FLAIR Strips ensure the "doorway" remains wide open, so horses at all levels breathe easier which supports respiratory health and allows horses to stay relaxed and focused.
Horses are "Obligate Nasal Breathers"
Unlike humans, horses cannot breathe through their mouths. During intensive exercise, 100% of the oxygen they need must pass through the nasal passages—the narrowest part of the upper airway.
A significant portion of the nasal passage is unsupported by bone or cartilage. When a horse inhales deeply during exercise, this soft tissue collapses inward, creating a massive bottleneck.
The Bottleneck Effect
50% to 80%
of total resistance to airflow to the lungs comes from the nasal passages during exercise.
Breathing Impacts Stride
At the canter and gallop, a horse's stride and breathing are linked 1:1. A horse takes exactly one breath for every single stride. This is known as "locomotor-respiratory coupling."
Inhalation (The Flight Phase)
When the front legs are non-weight bearing ("in flight"), the chest expands and air is pulled into the lungs like a bellows.
Exhalation (The Ground Phase)
Once the lead front leg contacts the ground (weight-bearing), contraction of the diaphgram and body momentum push air out of the lungs.
Direction of the air movement in and out of a horses lung through the phases of one stride.
Why this matters for speed: Beyond a hand gallop, a horse increases speed by lengthening its stride, not by moving its legs faster. To lengthen the stride, the horse must take a deeper, longer breath. If a horse is struggling to move air, they may shorten their stride to compensate for the increased work of breathing.
The Role of FLAIR® Strips
By providing a spring-like force that supports the nasal valve (the narrowest part of the airway), FLAIR Strips reduce soft tissue collapse. This impact on stride efficiency makes it easier for the horse to lengthen and adjust their stride during competition.
This support is even more critical for horses with:
- Pathological conditions: Roaring, gurgling, or alar fold collapse.
- Functional obstructions: Laryngeal hemiplegia (roaring), dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), epiglottic entrapment, or alar fold collapse.
