The Respiratory System
This month, vet Sarah Boland takes a close look at how the respiratory system breathes life into your horse – and what we can do to look after it
The primary function of the horse’s respiratory system is to replace carbon dioxide in the blood with oxygen for energy production – so it’s essential for life and especially so for an equine athlete. The respiratory system also has a role in protecting the body from infections, such as respiratory viruses and bacteria. Mucous, produced by the mucosa which lines the respiratory system, and inflammatory mediators help to defend the body from infection.
When the horse breathes in, air enters the nostrils. The nostrils contain cartilage which holds them open and they have the ability to expand greatly during exercise to maximise the amount of air entering the body. The nostrils are also lined with tiny hairs which remove tiny particles of dust and debris before the air enters the body.
The air passes through the nasal passages, which are covered with a vascular mucosa lining. This helps to warm and humidify the air – if cold air was to go straight into the lungs, it wouldn’t be very good for them!
Two rolls of bone, also covered with mucosa, are situated within each nasal passage, called the conchi. Their function is to aid warming, humidification and cleansing of the air, by increasing the surface area the air is exposed to.
Next, air passes into the pharynx, a 15cm (6in) long structure where the digestive and respiratory systems communicate. Here, a flap of tissue called the soft palate prevents food from entering the respiratory system and only opens during swallowing. When the horse is breathing, the soft palate sits up and the air goes from the nasal cavities, straight through the larynx.
The larynx is a triangular structure at rest, consisting of five pieces of cartilage. It enables the horse to vocalise and together with the pharynx, prevents food being inhaled. When the horse swallows, the larynx closes shut, the soft palate lifts and the horse swallows into its oesophagus. The larynx remains open for breathing and when a horse is galloping, he needs to be able to fully expand his airway, so the larynx is opened up fully to allow maximal airflow. From here, the inhaled air passes into the trachea.
The guttural pouches are air-filled pouches which are unique to the horse and their exact function is not known. However, it is thought that they equalise pressure and aid balance, and they contain major nerves and arteries.
The lungs have a spongey, stretchy texture and are primarily made up of the proteins elastin and collagen. Each lung has two lobes ?– cranial (towards the head) and caudal (towards the tail) – and the right lung has an extra lobe called the accessory lobe.
Each lung is surrounded by a membrane called the pleura which secretes a small amount of fluid into the pleural lining. This allows easy gliding of the lungs during respiration and movement.
The diaphragm is a muscle which helps to ?expand the lungs. It contracts away from the thoracic cavity, decreasing pressure and pulling air into the lungs.
The Respiratory SystemThis month, vet Sarah Boland takes a close look at how the respiratory system breathes life into your horse – and what we can do to look after itThe primary function of the horse’s respiratory system is to replace carbon dioxide in the blood with oxygen for energy production – so it’s essential for life and especially so for an equine athlete. The respiratory system also has a role in protecting the body from infections, such as respiratory viruses and bacteria. Mucous, produced by the mucosa which lines the respiratory system, and inflammatory mediators help to defend the body from infection.When the horse breathes in, air enters the nostrils. The nostrils contain cartilage which holds them open and they have the ability to expand greatly during exercise to maximise the amount of air entering the body. The nostrils are also lined with tiny hairs which remove tiny particles of dust and debris before the air enters the body. The air passes through the nasal passages, which are covered with a vascular mucosa lining. This helps to warm and humidify the air – if cold air was to go straight into the lungs, it wouldn’t be very good for them! Two rolls of bone, also covered with mucosa, are situated within each nasal passage, called the conchi. Their function is to aid warming, humidification and cleansing of the air, by increasing the surface area the air is exposed to. Next, air passes into the pharynx, a 15cm (6in) long structure where the digestive and respiratory systems communicate. Here, a flap of tissue called the soft palate prevents food from entering the respiratory system and only opens during swallowing. When the horse is breathing, the soft palate sits up and the air goes from the nasal cavities, straight through the larynx. The larynx is a triangular structure at rest, consisting of five pieces of cartilage. It enables the horse to vocalise and together with the pharynx, prevents food being inhaled. When the horse swallows, the larynx closes shut, the soft palate lifts and the horse swallows into its oesophagus. The larynx remains open for breathing and when a horse is galloping, he needs to be able to fully expand his airway, so the larynx is opened up fully to allow maximal airflow. From here, the inhaled air passes into the trachea. The guttural pouches are air-filled pouches which are unique to the horse and their exact function is not known. However, it is thought that they equalise pressure and aid balance, and they contain major nerves and arteries. The lungs have a spongey, stretchy texture and are primarily made up of the proteins elastin and collagen. Each lung has two lobes ?– cranial (towards the head) and caudal (towards the tail) – and the right lung has an extra lobe called the accessory lobe. Each lung is surrounded by a membrane called the pleura which secretes a small amount of fluid into the pleural lining. This allows easy gliding of the lungs during respiration and movement.The diaphragm is a muscle which helps to ?expand the lungs. It contracts away from the thoracic cavity, decreasing pressure and pulling air into the lungs.
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The Respiratory System
This month, vet Sarah Boland takes a close look at how the respiratory system breathes life into your horse – and what we can do to look after it
The primary function of the horse’s respiratory system is to replace carbon dioxide in the blood with oxygen for energy production – so it’s essential for life and especially so for an equine athlete. The respiratory system also has a role in protecting the body from infections, such as respiratory viruses and bacteria. Mucous, produced by the mucosa which lines the respiratory system, and inflammatory mediators help to defend the body from infection.
When the horse breathes in, air enters the nostrils. The nostrils contain cartilage which holds them open and they have the ability to expand greatly during exercise to maximise the amount of air entering the body. The nostrils are also lined with tiny hairs which remove tiny particles of dust and debris before the air enters the body.
The air passes through the nasal passages, which are covered with a vascular mucosa lining. This helps to warm and humidify the air – if cold air was to go straight into the lungs, it wouldn’t be very good for them!
Two rolls of bone, also covered with mucosa, are situated within each nasal passage, called the conchi. Their function is to aid warming, humidification and cleansing of the air, by increasing the surface area the air is exposed to.
Next, air passes into the pharynx, a 15cm (6in) long structure where the digestive and respiratory systems communicate. Here, a flap of tissue called the soft palate prevents food from entering the respiratory system and only opens during swallowing. When the horse is breathing, the soft palate sits up and the air goes from the nasal cavities, straight through the larynx.
The larynx is a triangular structure at rest, consisting of five pieces of cartilage. It enables the horse to vocalise and together with the pharynx, prevents food being inhaled. When the horse swallows, the larynx closes shut, the soft palate lifts and the horse swallows into its oesophagus. The larynx remains open for breathing and when a horse is galloping, he needs to be able to fully expand his airway, so the larynx is opened up fully to allow maximal airflow. From here, the inhaled air passes into the trachea.
The guttural pouches are air-filled pouches which are unique to the horse and their exact function is not known. However, it is thought that they equalise pressure and aid balance, and they contain major nerves and arteries.
The lungs have a spongey, stretchy texture and are primarily made up of the proteins elastin and collagen. Each lung has two lobes ?– cranial (towards the head) and caudal (towards the tail) – and the right lung has an extra lobe called the accessory lobe.
Each lung is surrounded by a membrane called the pleura which secretes a small amount of fluid into the pleural lining. This allows easy gliding of the lungs during respiration and movement.
The diaphragm is a muscle which helps to ?expand the lungs. It contracts away from the thoracic cavity, decreasing pressure and pulling air into the lungs.
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