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In this Episode:
Series 1 Episode Guide:
Super Vets
Question Mark is a three-year-old thoroughbred racing horse. He had not been performing as well as anticipated, so was brought to the Sefton Equine Hospital at the Royal Veterinary College to determine whether his lack of form was due to a physical problem.
In investigating Question Mark’s case, some of the Sefton Hospital’s most advanced equipment was brought into play. Slight abnormalities, often unnoticeable at rest, can become significant when a horse exerts itself, and examining a thoroughbred galloping at top racing speed requires a horse-sized state-of-art treadmill. After two or three days of careful training, Question Mark was able to race at full gallop on the treadmill, allowing close up observation by the veterinary surgeons.
While he was galloping, a tiny camera, or endoscope, was passed up his nose in order to view his larynx functioning. The Sefton Hospital’s endoscope is extremely long, flexible and delicate, and perfectly suited to the examination of large animals. There are two common reasons for poor performance during exercise: failure of the larynx to open properly, and airflow blockage in the larynx caused by other tissues. Blood tests were also run, and samples of the fluid in Question Mark’s lungs and trachea (windpipe) examined.
Fortunately for Question Mark and his owners, no significant abnormalities were detected. As his poor performance could not be explained by any physical defect, Question Mark went home to continue training and conditioning.
