The term “bleeder” is typically attributed to horses which present with blood through the nostrils following a race or other activity involving heavy exertion. Bleeding can occur during or after exertion, and can take weeks to resolve in some horses.¹

This condition is known as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), or bleeding from the lungs. This occurs often in performance horses and is a significant cause of exercise intolerance. EIPH occurs primarily in Quarter Horses, Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, and is typically seen involving events like barrel racing, cutting, reining and roping competitions.²  

Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage has been recognized since the 18th century. It results from strenuous short-term endurance and/or pathologic changes in the horse.¹ It is described as the presence of blood in the tracheobronchial tree following strenuous exercise. Seasonally, EIPH occurs shortly after the onset of training, and tends to intensify with age. The literature suggests that high vascular pressures causes stress failure of the pulmonary capillaries, resulting in hemorrhage and edema in the gas-exchange region of the lung.²

Endoscopy has shown that a large number of performance horses suffer from EIPH, with an incidence of as high as 75%. Endoscopic examination of the airways of horses after racing often reveals a 95% incidence of EIPH. Bronchoalveolar lavage studies have suggested that bleeding occurs in nearly all horses during racing or training. Recovery from such episodes can take four to six weeks, depending on the severity of the condition.^4,5

Please consult your veterinarian prior to beginning any treatment regimen.

FOR RX ONLY: A valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian is required for dispensing this medication.

¹wagwalking.com.

²arizona.edu.

⁴Dunnett, M., Harris, R. Influence of oral ß-alanine and L-histidine supplementation on the carnosine content of the gluteus medius. Equine Veterinary Journal, 10 June 2010, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05273.x

⁵madbarn.com.