Breathe Better, Perform Better: How FLAIR® Equine Nasal Strips Support Your Horse from Warm-Up to Cool-Down

Every Breath and Every Stride counts when it comes to horseback riding, regardless of the discipline. Whether you’re riding a show jumping course, racing around a barrel pattern, or galloping through cross country, the ease of your horse’s ability to breathe plays a major role in their performance. 

FLAIR® Strips are an easy to use product with a high impact for your horse’s well being. At Corro, we’re here to provide you with products that are not only accessible, but that greatly benefit your horse so they can stay feeling their best.

The Role of Breathing in Performance

Horses are obligate nasal breathers. This means that unlike humans, they only breathe through their nose during exercise. All the air to power exercises come in through the nose, travel through the upper airway, through the trachea, and then into the lungs. The tissue over their nasal passages are very soft and pliable, making it easy for them to collapse inward. This in turn narrows their airway making it harder for them to bring in the oxygen their bodies need. 

Over half of the resistance to airflow that can occur during exercise happens in the nasal passages, meaning more resistance equals more effort to breathe. This can result in fatigue, reduced focus, and an overall slower recovery. In addition to that horses hold their breath while they jump. By using a FLAIR Strip, it makes it easier for jumping horses to bring air in as they prepare to jump and when they begin taking in breaths again after they land.

FUN FACT: At peak effort, they may take 120–140 breaths per minute—that’s one breath every half second. That’s up to 1,800 liters of air per minute—roughly 6 bathtubs full.

FLAIR® Strips: Small Support that Makes a Big Difference

FLAIR® Strips work by gently supporting these soft tissues over the nasal passages to keep the airway open and reduce resistance. This means that your horse can take in the air they need to breathe without working as hard to do it.

This product has been proven to: 

BREATHE EASIER | The spring-like action in FLAIR Strips supports the soft tissues over the nasal passages to reduce the tissue collapse that occurs in all horses during exercise.

REDUCE FATIGUE | By reducing resistance to airflow to make breathing easier, horses don’t tire as easily so they can work longer and harder.

CONSERVE ENERGY | Horses wearing FLAIR Strips have been shown to use 5-6% less energy during intensive exercise.

RECOVER FASTER | When horses’ nasal passages are supported during the cool-down phase of recovery, they are able to move air more easily to cool down and recover quicker.

PROTECT FROM EIPH (LUNG BLEEDING) | FLAIR Strips reduce resistance to breathing, which puts less stress on the fragile pulmonary blood vessels in the lungs, resulting in fewer ruptured pulmonary blood vessels.

Whether you’re schooling at home or competing across multiple days, that kind of support adds up.

The Best Part? They’re for Everyone!

FLAIR® Strips have been used by Olympic athletes, top eventers, Grand Prix jumpers, Barrel Racers, Polo Teams, Racehorses AND MORE —but you don’t have to be at the international level to see the benefits. They’re just as valuable for horses schooling at home, coming back into work, or working through the summer heat.

And if your horse has any kind of respiratory sensitivity—like allergies, mild airway issues, or is prone to heavy breathing during cool-down—FLAIR® Strips can be an easy way to support them to feel more comfortable and recover faster.

At Corro, we care about the little things that make a big impact on your horse’s wellness and performance. We carry FLAIR Strips because they are: 

• Non-invasive

• Easy to apply

• Backed by science

• Safe for competition

• Designed for your horse’s health & comfort

We’ve heard from so many riders who say their horses just feel better when using them—more relaxed, more focused, and ready to go again tomorrow.

Shop FLAIR® Strips now officially at Corro and discover why they’ve become a go-to in barns around the world.