How effective is the cornell collar??
griff
Cornell Collar
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Cornell Collar
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]
As effective as the person making the diagnosis and/or putting it on. I bought one because the trainer thought the horse had a choking problem. I didn't agree, I thought the horse was stopping because she was sore. I bought the collar anyway because I figured it could be useful for other horses. As I expeceted it had no benefit for the horse it was specifically purchased for. I have however noticed a signifcant benefit in other peoples horses when the collar has been added. IMO if the horse is choking because they feel stressed during a race, the collar may be a real benefit. If the horse is stopping/choking because they are sore: forget it. JMO
Horses don't choke because they feel "feel stressed" during a race or because they are sore in any other part of their body. Their ability to take in air is compromised because of soft palate displacement or laryngeal paralysis.
This may be why the collar didn't help your horse, since you argue that he was sore and that the collar would not help him (and it wouldn't). Like you observed, it may have had a positive effect on other horses that my have legitimate respiratory issues.
I don't have any experience with the collar and really haven't heard much about it. Surgery is usually effective, economical (around $1200 to $1500, but it varies somewhat depending on location), and doesn' take the horse out for an excessively long recovery periond. This is the best option, IMO, if the horse has been diagnosed as roarer, etc.
This may be why the collar didn't help your horse, since you argue that he was sore and that the collar would not help him (and it wouldn't). Like you observed, it may have had a positive effect on other horses that my have legitimate respiratory issues.
I don't have any experience with the collar and really haven't heard much about it. Surgery is usually effective, economical (around $1200 to $1500, but it varies somewhat depending on location), and doesn' take the horse out for an excessively long recovery periond. This is the best option, IMO, if the horse has been diagnosed as roarer, etc.
Control of the soft palate is via neural stimulation. Dysfunctional neural stimulation (for example stress) will cause soft palate displacement. As you point out there are other physiological causes for 'choking'. Knowing which cause is the source of your horses' problem is the determinant of what treatment will be most effective.