An international collaboration of equine researchers launched a study in early July to examine the prevalence and severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in horses in South Africa. The researchers from the University of Pretoria, The Ohio State University (OSU), and the University of Kentucky (UK), also plan to examine the effect of altitude on EIPH in the Thoroughbred racehorse.

Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage is well known for its negative effect on high-performance equine athletes, and has been detected in anywhere from 40-70% of Thoroughbreds racing in the United States and elsewhere, depending on the study (affected horses are often called “bleeders”). Definitive diagnosis is by post-exercise (within 90 minutes of racing) endoscopic examination of the upper respiratory tract and detection of blood in the trachea. This condition has severe economic and welfare implications for the racing industry