When horses breathe hard during intensive exercise, the soft tissues overlaying the nasal passages collapse, reducing the size of the upper airway. This reduction in size increases resistance to moving air into the lungs making it harder for horses to breathe when they need oxygen most. FLAIR Strips support the nasal passages so there is less collapse of tissue and less resistance to breathing during intensive exercise. Learn more below.
Horses are obligate nasal breathers
Unlike humans, horses are obligate nasal breathers, meaning they cannot breathe through their mouth during exercise. All oxygen needed to provide fuel for working must come through their nose. Any resistance in the airways makes it more difficult to breathe. Think about the resistance you feel breathing when you have stuffy nose. But at least you can breathe through your mouth. When running, horses can’t.
The nasal passages cause the greatest resistance to breathing
During exercise 90% of the resistance to breathing occurs in the upper airways (nostrils, nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, and trachea). 50% of upper airway resistance occurs in the nasal passages. As negative pressures are generated within the chest cavity during inhalation, the unsupported tissues of the nasal passages partially collapse resulting in increasing resistance to incoming airflow. The narrowest part of the nasal passages is the “nasal valve.”
Referring to the photographs above, you can feel where the nasal passages collapse by putting your thumb and forefinger on a horse’s nose just below the eyes and by gently pushing as you slide your hand down the nose until the tissue collapses into the naso-incisive notch which is shown in the skeleton of the horse on the right. The nasal valve is located near the apex of the NI notch indicated by the blue arrow. FLAIR Strips support the nasal passages, particularly in the region of the nasal valve.
When properly applied the top support member of the Strip should be positioned over the region of the arrow as shown in the below video.
