Tongue ties do not widen the upper airways in racehorses.

Background: There is contradictory evidence on the potential benefits of tongue ties on upper airway function and their efficacy in inhibiting intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) in racehorses.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that tongue ties increase the pharyngeal diameter and decrease the occurrence of dynamic airway obstruction in racehorses.

Study Design: Prospective, crossover blinded clinical study.