[QUOTE=RS;8306717]
Understand that there’s different surgery options – just the tieback, just the removal of the vocal cords, or both. Different pro/cons.
The horses that “can’t whinny” – it’s from the vocal cord removal. HOWEVER, it is often not that they can’t make sound, they just lack the pitch and volume that they previously had. Almost all the horses that I know that have had vocal cord removal, including my own horse, still whinny at their buddies or for their breakfast. It’s just a whisper-y whinny.
The initial post-op care is intense if you have the full tieback done, but many horses go back to normal life in a few months. Some do better with grain on the ground, or soaked hay, but many return to their previous eating conditions once they have healed.
If surgery has affected their athleticism, that’s a big concern that needs to be brought to the vet’s attention. The purpose of surgery is to INCREASE their athleticism. My horse that had the tieback and vocal cord removal is 1000 times more athletic and simple to get fit than before, because now he can BREATHE. Roaring affects athleticism, surgery should cure that. Only removing the vocal cords will take away the roaring noise and give the horse some more breathing room, but a true tieback will vastly improve their airflow.
Tieback was the best thing I ever did for my horse.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps I wasn’t clear - it’s not the surgery that inhibits athleticism, it’s the condition. Surgery will usually help with athleticism but the horse may not ever have the same performance as a non-affected horse. Both types of tie back procedures do interfere with the function of the larynx, which we can assume would negatively affect athleticism.
I’m assuming that the OP has at some point scoped to see the structural “damage” of the larynx. Then they decide whether or not they will stitch the flap back (as in “tie back”) or remove it. IMHO neither is better than the other, both seem to have failures as well as successes - though it seems without the flap that some horses are more prone to aspirating/pneumonia. Which is why you would usually feed them on the ground.
The care after is very labor intensive. It’s a cool incision but it can be terrifying if you’re not comfortable with exposed organs and open wounds.
Whether or not it works… well… depends on the horse, the vet, and the management. Including if it’s realistic to work the horse at XYZ level. I took care of one with tie-back for a year. He is a great horse, but does really need extra management – the tie-back affected his sensitivities to allergens (vet thinks it’s because the tie-back interferes w/ protective function of larynx). He can’t be outside much in the spring, has to be ridden conservatively in the spring, and takes a lot to get fit. He is a “fit type” (Connemara X TB) and it is more grueling getting him into shape than a clyde. BUT the surgery did improve his airway function.
But then there are other horses where the surgery does not help at all.
ultimately, I want my horse to be as healthy as possible and part of that is being able to breathe