Lisa Katz

New research has pinpointed genes associated with a disease seen as a major contributor to poor performance in Thoroughbred racehorses, University College Dublin (UCD) announced on Tuesday. Hailed as a breakthrough in combatting the equine performance-limiting disorder Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy (RLN)--often referred to as laryngeal hemiplegia or 'roaring'--the discovery will enable the development of a genetic test to identify horses with a three-times higher risk of developing the disease. It currently affects up to 18% of horses by acting on the muscles in their upper airways, resulting in reduced airflow...