ENGLISH TEXTS performing wind surgery on his star Constitution Hill during the summer. His compatriot Paul Nicholls systematically operates on French horses he purchases, even if they had already won races before export. In France, however, there is much more reluctance to operate on a racehorse’ s throat. Some soft palate issues are simply signs of immaturity and resolve over time and with training. Complications can also occur after surgery. Why this difference between major NH nations? Leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins explains:“ The operation is more routine in England than in Ireland. English trainers often work uphill, and our racecourses are also undulating and demanding. We absolutely need horses that breathe perfectly.”
Rapeseed and pulmonary hemorrhages In Ireland, many trainers have reported negative effects of flowering rapeseed on their horses’ lungs. Among them, James McAuley told Racing Post in May 2023 that his horses suffered from skin eruptions and pulmonary bleeding due to nearby rapeseed fields. The diagnosis was made by the Irish Equine Centre, similar to France’ s RESPE. James McAuley invested in a halotherapy machine, exposing horses to sea salt particles. He used it preventively before rapeseed flowering and reported beneficial effects, although such benefits remain uncertain— even in humans. Point-to-point specialist Harley Dunne said he had to temporarily relocate his 36 horses away from rapeseed fields.“ There are 150 to 200 hectares around our site. In 2022, the yard was badly affected. Horses capable of winning races were fading near the finish. I chose to rent another site from April to June.” The Racing Post reported that rapeseed cultivation in Ireland increased by 44 % between 2021 and 2022.
Embedded scope video caption Endoscopy during exercise allows visualization of the horse’ s soft palate and vocal cords. It can be performed at the veterinary clinic on a treadmill or under real training conditions. Treadmill endoscopy offers a standardized procedure, while onboard endoscopy— developed in the 2010s— accounts for the rider’ s influence( weight, position, rein action). This examination can sometimes lead to adjustments or changes in tack. The device is mounted on the horse’ s back using a saddle pad. Here, an endoscopy supervised by veterinarian Tanguy Hermange of the Livet Equine Veterinary Hospital Center.
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BREED FOCUS
AQPS LOUISA BANBOU, STANDARD-BEARER OF A GOLDEN FAMILY
BY PAUL CASABIANCA
For more than thirty years, the Banchereau couple have been involved in breeding. A small breeding operation with great success, symbolized by the excellence of Louisa Banbou, crowned best AQPS flat horse in 2025. Meeting with Jean-Noël Banchereau, the founding father of the“ Banbou” label.
These are the kind of stories we love to tell. Simple and natural stories. Stories of sharing, passion, and heritage. Above all, a family story. The“ Banbou” label was born more than 15 years ago thanks to the broodmare band of Pierre Banchereau, passed on to his son Jean-Noël after his death. In the commune of Ahuillé, in Mayenne, this anesthetist by profession, now retired, first turned to breeding sport horses. To please his wife, Evelyne, an accomplished rider:“ We took over my father’ s mares when he passed away,” recalls Jean-Noël Banchereau.“ For 10 years, we only made crosses to produce sport horses. My wife being passionate about
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