Soft palate angle and basihyoid depth increase with tongue size and with body condition score in horses.
Authors: Talbot Alison M, Shanks-Boon Hannah, Baldwin Christopher M, Barnes Harriet, Maddox Thomas W
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Obesity in horses has received little scientific attention regarding its effects on upper airway anatomy, despite well-documented associations between excess body condition and airway obstruction in other species. Talbot and colleagues used computed tomography to measure soft palate angle, basihyoid bone depth, and tongue dimensions in 44 horses, correlating these findings with body condition scores assigned at the time of imaging. Each increment in body condition score was associated with a 2.56° increase in soft palate angle and a 0.246 cm increase in basihyoid depth; moreover, larger tongue dimensions—particularly dorsoventral height—showed strong correlations with increased soft palate angle (r = 0.690 at the basihyoid level), suggesting that weight gain alters multiple oropharyngeal structures simultaneously. Whilst the findings remain preliminary given the small sample size and single-plane imaging methodology, they indicate a plausible mechanism by which overweight horses could experience compromised upper airway function, warranting investigation into whether such anatomical changes translate to clinically relevant airway obstruction, exercise intolerance, or sleep-disordered breathing in equine patients.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Overweight horses (higher BCS) show structural changes in the oropharynx and nasopharynx that may predispose to upper airway obstruction similar to conditions seen in obese humans and brachycephalic dogs—weight management may be important for airway health
- •Larger tongues are associated with increased soft palate angles, suggesting tongue size contributes to airway geometry; monitor heavier horses and those with suspected enlarged tongues for potential breathing difficulties
- •These findings suggest obesity-related upper airway changes in horses warrant further clinical investigation to determine if they cause respiratory symptoms or exercise intolerance in practice
Key Findings
- •Increased body condition score (BCS) led to increased mean soft palate angle (SPA) by 2.56° (p=0.02)
- •Increased BCS correlated with increased median basihyoid depth by 0.246 cm (p=0.006)
- •Larger tongue measurements significantly correlated with increased SPA, with strongest correlation at the basihyoid bone level (r=0.690, p<0.001)
- •No significant correlation found between any measured variables and horse sex