London, UK (Weltexpress). This scholarly article is categorized as a review but is also an original work that synthesizes and advances understanding. By basing it on a framework recognized in human medicine, the authors bring to the study of equine respiration an invigorating new look at an old problem. Three qualitatively distinct sensations of breathlessness in man – respiratory effort, air hunger and chest tightness – are considered as they affect the ridden and driven horse at exercise. After reading the authors’ cautiously compiled comments on 164 references, the reader realizes the extent to which we have underestimated the negative effect on equine welfare of breathlessness caused by standard practices in horsemanship. We have especially overlooked, apparently, the peculiar unpleasantness of air hunger, i.e., suffocation.
An article of this Herculean caliber is surely destined to become a classic. The reader is first guided through the basic science background of respiratory anatomy and physiology. The pathophysiology then follows, after which the evidence for breathlessness in the horse as a welfare issue reaches a quiet but compelling crescendo of integration in the discussion. The oxymoron seems justified as the tone of the article throughout is dispassionate and scrupulously scientific. The evidence for every statement is referenced and the authors’ have meticulously documented the chronology and attributions.
Understandably, it has taken the authors four years to complete the project. It is the second in their planned trilogy on breathlessness. The first article provided an introduction to breathlessness in man and non-human mammals. It serves as a foundation for this one on the horse and the pending one on the brachycephalic dog.
This careful and comprehensive contribution to knowledge is published in an open access journal and includes a summary for a lay audience. It can be downloaded for free by entering the reference below. For the sake of the horse, please circulate the reference.
Mellor, D.J., and Beausoleil, N.J. (2017). Equine welfare during exercise: An evaluation of breathing, breathlessness and bridles. Animals 7, 41; doi:10.3390/ani7060041
* Foundation Director and Deputy Director respectively of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, Massey University, New Zealand.
Further reading full text: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/6/41
