Relationship of horse owner assessed respiratory signs index to characteristics of recurrent airway obstruction in two Warmblood families.
Authors: Laumen E, Doherr M G, Gerber V
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) remains a significant welfare and performance concern in horses, yet genetic studies investigating the condition have largely relied on owner-reported respiratory signs rather than veterinary examination findings. Gerber and colleagues validated the Horse Owner Assessed Respiratory Signs Index (HOARSI) — a four-point scale ranging from healthy to severely affected — against objective clinical and endoscopic findings in two Warmblood families, comparing owner-assessed classifications with detailed lower respiratory tract examinations including clinical history, lung auscultation, and endoscopic assessment. The researchers found reasonable correlation between HOARSI categories and underlying respiratory pathology, with the index demonstrating adequate discriminatory ability to differentiate disease severity, though some overlap existed between adjacent categories. This validation is crucial for equine practitioners and researchers, as it confirms that large-scale genetic investigations utilising owner-reported HOARSI data can reliably identify RAO-affected horses, whilst simultaneously highlighting that the index functions best as a screening tool rather than a diagnostic substitute for veterinary examination. For breeders, vets, and researchers involved in RAO genetics or epidemiological studies, these findings support continued use of HOARSI in resource-limited settings whilst emphasising the importance of clinical verification in individual cases where breeding or management decisions are at stake.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Owner-reported respiratory history can reliably categorize RAO severity, supporting its use in large-scale genetic and epidemiological studies without requiring full clinical examination
- •HOARSI scoring allows veterinarians to efficiently identify affected horses for breeding decisions and management in Warmblood populations
- •Standardized owner assessment tools improve consistency in RAO diagnosis when detailed respiratory tract examination is not feasible
Key Findings
- •HOARSI-1-4 is a validated owner-assessed scoring system for respiratory signs in horses with recurrent airway obstruction
- •Owner reports of respiratory clinical history show good repeatability for phenotype classification
- •The study investigated agreement between HOARSI scoring and in-depth lower respiratory tract examination in two Warmblood families