I have a 6 year old gelding , finished barrel and rope horse. I live in southern CA but I have traveled and competed with this horse from here to TX and everywhere in between! He has been stalled in dozens of different barns, fairgrounds , etc. In August at a local barrel race he developed a breathing noise that sounds like someone is trying to kick start a motorcycle. Lol didn't think much of it at first , but it just never went away. Thought it was something with a load of hay I got so sent it back , nothing in his environment has changed. Took him to vet and we scoped him top to bottom in his airway. Yes, there was some irritation but vet didn't see anything really out of ordinary, gutteral pouches good, bloodwork showed no infection , etc. she made a solution of Dex, DMSO, Gentmycin, and saline for me to nebulize daily for a month. He rarely coughs , it sounds like his nose is collapsing on itself / like a human sounds when they snore. Lol. Comes and goes. Not there every day. She has me nebulize albuterol and dex before a run.  He does not heave. Ruled out flapper etc. 

    sorry so long!!! Just wonder why this all of a sudden shows up out of nowhere. Currently he gets ALL hay soaked before it's fed and that really does help. Of course zero discharge or fever. 

    I just put him on curost total support. Anyone have any ideas ??? Vet says we can do a dynamic scope but I really don't see what it will show us. 

         Thanks!

Kinda sounds like he could be in the first stages of being a Roarer {Roaring}.. I sure hope not.  

We looked into that. Vet doesn't think so. Lol.  But open to anything. 

Glad to hear that..

Is it just when he exerciesing or running?  I had a horse that sounded like yours  first time it started coming off the 3rd barrel the next run from the 2nd barrel & the rest of the run and the 3rd run from the 1st barrel and the rest of run and that was a week in between ea run.  He didnt do it exercising,  He had one paralyzed flap.  He had to have surgery.  They cut it out.  This was bout 15-20 years ago.

Mostly when exercising but he will do it very very softly just being in his pen to. But as soon as you exercise it gets louder with heavier breathing of course. Lol. Did your horse just develop it??? After surgery was yours good to go?? I listened to some videos of a " roaring" horse and that's def not him. It does not sound like a whistle or wheeze. My horse is really big to. Just normally he is 16.1 and weighs about 1300. Vet says losing some pounds will help the most. lol. 

Your vet scoped but why didn't he do a BAL to get a cell cytology of his lungs? Doing so you'd be able to differentiate what inflammatory cells are present and if it is in fact COPD. 

Also wanted to add maybe he is displacing his soft palate while you ride. Some horses with airway inflammation can do that. They stop one the inflammation is gone.

 That is exactly the route the vet was thinking, inflammation causing the displacement. Certainly makes sense. It also seems temperature related. On warmer days its worse. LOL THats why she made up the strong nebulizing solution to get that inflammation under control. Now we have to manage what causes the inflammation. He has aways had eye allergies etc. Thats why I am putting him on the curost total support, I'm hoping this will keep the environmental /allergy/dust inflammation controlled and the nebulizer will keep things maintained. Soaking hay is absolutrly no fun, but I would do anything for this horse! He owes me nothing. I just can't get over why this just developed basically overnight. 

His was all of sudden.  and it was loud when running.  It didnt sound like wheezing or roaring.  its so hard to explain.  We thought it was weird the first time we heard it coming from the 3rd barrel but back then you kinda didnt go to vets lol  and then he did it the quicker the 2nd barrel and then the 3rd run it started at the first barrel and my mom said thats it we are checking it out.  When they scoped him one side Flapper wouldnt move at all.  After surgery I had to stay off like 2-3 mths and then gradually bring him back.  I got to make a phenomal 3/4 speed run which was exhibition and was on stakes that would have won the rodeo! Back then you could exh at rodeos in the slack.  I was so excited bc we been placing one out of the money!  2 weeks later he colic and I had to put him down!  I was soooo devasted! even today it brings tears to my eyes! 

Anyways Im sure if yours was paralyed or starting to, vet would have seen when scoped I'm sure.

Good luck!!!

Just as an update , I rode him today in a Cavesom and he felt amazing! He couldn't nibble on the weeds like he usually does ?????? but zero noise, none. I'm thinking he displaces his soft palate intermittently. The best and easiest way to fix that is keeping inflammation down first and I'm using curost for that plus the nebulizer with vets brew. Cavesom when he runs. Today was a good day! Lol