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Does thoracic outlet syndrome exist in horses? Part 1

By Sue Palmer on March 5, 2023

First of all, what is ‘thoracic outlet syndrome’? And secondly, how does this relate to horses? Thoracic outlet syndrome is a condition in people where the nerves and/or blood vessels are compressed in the thoracic outlet. This can lead to pain in the shoulder, numbness or tingling in the affected hand, swelling, and more. The thoracic outlet is the space between your collarbone and your first rib. A horse doesn’t have a collarbone, so I guess strictly speaking he can’t have ‘thoracic outlet syndrome’. But could he still suffer from a syndrome where the nerves and blood vessels are compressed in this region?

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Does thoracic outlet syndrome exist in horses? Part 1