October 2-4, 2026 in Nödinge, Sweden
In cooperation with Ale Djurklinik
Aims of the course are that up to 18 participants will be comfortable to:
- Collect respiratory secretions via bronchoalveolar lavage and tracheobronchial aspiration/wash and evaluate specimens;
- Perform endoscopy of horse’s respiratory tract, including overground endoscopy;
- Practice surgery for treating upper airway disorders.
We encourage you to bring along your own equipment!
Accreditation by the German Academy for Continuous Veterinary Education (ATF) has been requested.
The overground endoscopes will be provided by Medical Vet AG
Program
Friday, October 2: 09:30 to 18:30 lectures and practical work in Ale Djurklinik with Ann Kristin Barton, Ariane Campos and Patrick Pollock
Airway Sampling & Respiratory Secretion Analysis
- 09:30 Welcome and course introduction
- 09:40 Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and tracheobronchial aspiration/wash – Techniques, indications, and common pitfalls.
- 10:40 Coffee break
- 11:00 Analysis and interpretation of BAL and tracheobronchial secretions – Cytology, inflammation patterns, and clinical decision-making.
- 12:00 Practical rotations (60 min / station): Participants will be divided into three groups
- Bronchoalveolar lavage
- Tracheobronchial aspiration/wash
- Analysis and evaluation of the respiratory secretions
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Continued practical rotations
- 15:00 Continued practical rotations
- 16:00 Coffee break
- 16:30 Medical treatment options of respiratory diseases: Is there more available than corticosteroids, clenbuterol and mucolytics?
- 18:30 End of day 1
Saturday, October 3: 09:00 to 18:00 lectures and practical work in Göteborg racetrack with Ann Kristin Barton, Ariane Campos and Patrick Pollock
Endoscopy at rest and exercise: The Performance Horse Focus
- 09:00 Resting Endoscopy and ultrasound of the airways – Systematic examination and interpretation
- 10:00 Coffee break
- 10:30 Exercise Endoscopy of the upper and lower airways – Dynamic assessment in the athletic horse
- 11:15 Hints and tricks for overground endoscopy – Practical tips for field and racetrack settings
- 12:15 Performance Horse Airway Management – Beyond Surgery
A focused session on the real-world respiratory issues seen in performance horses — the majority of cases where surgery is not the answer. Topics include:
- Interpreting overground endoscopy in racehorses and sport horses
- Dynamic airway collapse: what matters and what doesn’t
- Poor performance cases: respiratory vs non-respiratory causes
- Evidence-based medical and management strategies
- Knowing when to treat, manage, monitor… and when to refer
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Practical rotations: Participants rotate between instructors (75 min / station):
- Resting endoscopy and ultrasound of the upper airways
- Resting endoscopy and ultrasound of the lower airways
- Overground dynamic endoscopy
- 2 x 15 minutes coffee breaks in between (approx. 14:40 and 16:15)
- 18:00 End of day2
- 18:30 Barbecue and informal networking evening
Sunday, October 4: 8:30 to 17:00 lectures and practical work in Ale Djurklinik with Ann Kristin Barton, Ariane Campos and Patrick Pollock
Surgical Options & Participant Case Discussion
- 8:30 Surgical treatment options in equine respiratory disease – When surgery helps and when it doesn´t
- 10:00 Coffee break
- 10:15 Practical surgical rotations (75 min / station): Participants divided into two groups performing:
- Surgery for laryngeal hemiplegia
- Management of dorsal displacement of the soft palate; (DDSP)
- 11:30 Coffee break
- 11:45 Continued practical rotations
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Indication and procedures for nerve grafting
- 15:15 Coffee break
- 15:30 Final interactive discussion – Participants led topics, challenging cases and take-home messages
- 17:00 Course close
Instructors
Ann Kristin Barton
studied at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, and received her doctorate there in 2005 from the Equine Clinic for her dissertation on the pharmacological modulation of bronchoconstriction. She then completed her specialist veterinary training and a residency with stays abroad in Australia and New Zealand. In 2012, she earned the title of Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM), and in 2013, she was recognized as a specialist veterinarian for horses and received the subspecialty designation in equine internal medicine. In 2017, she completed her habilitation on the topic of „Diagnostic value of new inflammatory markers in equine asthma“ and in 2018 became a private lecturer in „Equine Internal Medicine“ at the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Free University of Berlin, Germany. Her research focuses on diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract in horses. Since 2023, she has headed the Department of Internal and Intensive Care Medicine at the Hochmoor Equine Clinic and is also involved in the clinic’s management. Furthermore, she serves as Chair of the Research Committee on the Board of the German Equine Veterinary Association (GEVA) and heads the Continuing Education Department of it. She is also a member of the Exam Committee of the ECEIM and serves as a reviewer for numerous international journals.
Ariane Campos
is a graduate of the Hannover Veterinary School (Germany). After an internship in Belgium and a period of private practice in Germany, she joined Fabrice Rossignol in the equine clinic of Grosbois, France, in the fall of 2019 to complete a surgical residency. She holds the European College of Veterinary Surgery (ECVS) and is particularly interested in airway and fracture surgery. She regularly intervenes internationally to perform surgeries and strengthen professional collaborations. In addition to her clinical activity, she is actively involved in the research work carried out within the clinic.
Patrick J Pollock
graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1998. Following several years in mixed veterinary practice, he undertook advanced surgical training at University College Dublin, where he became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Patrick has worked in both private and academic practice across Europe. He spent ten years at the Weipers Centre Equine Hospital at the University of Glasgow before moving to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, where he served as Director of the Equine Hospital and Practice, leading the service through a period of significant growth and development.
He has extensive experience in all aspects of equine and large animal surgery, with particular clinical interests in wounds, trauma, and investigation of poor performance in the athletic horse. During his time in Glasgow, he was part of the team that validated the method for overground endoscopy, which has since become widely used in the investigation of upper airway disorders in horses.
Patrick has a strong interest in veterinary emergency response and disaster medicine. Working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Association, and other first responders, he has helped develop training and operational initiatives for large animal rescue. He is currently undertaking advanced training in Disaster Medicine and Management.
He also has a long-standing interest in working equids, including horses, donkeys, and mules, and has supported veterinary training initiatives in low- and middle-income countries.
Patrick is currently Head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Ireland, where he is leading the development of a new Program in Veterinary Medicine and associated teaching hospitals. He also continues to work clinically as part of the team at the Glasgow Equine Hospital and Practice within the School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow.
What you need to know...
Dates & Locations
All days
Equine Clinic: Ale Djurklinik, Norra Kilandavägen 22, 44934 Nödinge, Sweden
Phone +46 (0) 303-33 59 60
Accommodation
Hotel Best Western Plus Aby Hotel (Instructors are accommodated here)
Åby Arenaväg 8b, 431 62 Mölndal
https://www.abyhotel.se/en/hotel
For other hotels please check the internet
Further information
Arbeitsgruppe Pferd – Task Force Horse
Arno Lindner
Heinrich-Röttgen-Str. 20, 52428 Jülich, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 2461 340-430; contact@agpferd.de; www.agpferd.com
- Nearest airports: Gothenburg https://www.swedavia.com/landvetter/ (GOT)
- On Gothenburg: https://www.goteborg.com/en/
- More equine professionals’ education: Please check under events in agpferd.com

