Heaves (also called recurrent airway obstruction) is a severe form of bronchitis/bronchiolitis. The airway passages of a horse with heaves are so obstructed by inflammation, mucus, and bronchial muscle contraction (bronchospasm) that the animal has difficulty breathing even at rest. At the end of each exhalation, the horse pushes so hard with its abdominal muscles that with chronic overuse, thes
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