Mizzou veterinarians give young racehorse a second chance

By Brian Consiglio

July 16, 2026
Contact: Brian Consiglio, [email protected]
Photos courtesy of Kile Townsend

Beso was born to run - and veterinarians at the University of Missouri made sure she could. When the young racehorse from Rolla, Missouri, began struggling with noisy breathing and tiring quickly during exercise, owners Jenny and Ted Ruth turned to Mizzou's Veterinary Health Center, where experts identified the first documented cyst of its kind.

A local veterinarian referred the couple to Mizzou because of the university's highly trained faculty, advanced diagnostic capabilities and collaborative approach to complex cases.

At Mizzou, equine specialists quickly discovered the large cyst inside Beso's windpipe that blocked about half of her trachea. The obstruction caused severe respiratory distress, particularly when the horse tried to run at fast speeds.

"We used an endoscope, which is a small camera inserted through the horse's nostril," Kile Townsend, an assistant teaching professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine who cared for Beso, said. "Her upper airway looked normal at first. But then when we looked further down closer to the lungs, we found a large cyst in the windpipe, which is extremely abnormal."

Tracheal cysts in horses are so rare that the research team was unable to find a single documented case in veterinary literature.

Townsend, who specializes in equine internal medicine, worked with Kevin Keegan, a professor of equine surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine, to treat Beso. They used a minimally invasive diode laser to drain the cyst and destroy the tissue lining that produced the fluid, reducing the likelihood that it would return.

"The laser we used to treat Beso is not something every veterinarian would have access to out in the field," Townsend said. "The advanced diagnostic capabilities and resources for treatment we have here at Mizzou are, in part, why animals often get referred here after initially being seen by local veterinarians throughout Missouri."

When Beso recently returned to the Veterinary Health Center for a checkup, her windpipe looked healthy, and there were no adverse reactions or swelling. The outcome means Beso can continue training with the potential to become a competitive athlete.

"When you have experts in internal medicine, equine surgery and respiratory medicine all working together, that collaboration is going to improve the care we deliver to each patient," Townsend said. "We are invested in providing world-class care that ultimately allows these animals to live long, healthy lives."

Going forward, she hopes Beso's diagnosis and treatment can serve as a helpful case study for other veterinarians who may encounter similar equine patients in the future.

"You never know if other horses might have this type of cyst down the road, so hopefully we can spread the word about a viable treatment option that can help horses in a minimally invasive manner," Townsend said. "A cyst in the trachea of a horse had never been documented in literature, and we want other veterinarians to know it could be something to look for if a horse is showing signs of respiratory distress."

The study, "Endotracheal cyst treated via diode laser ablation in an 8-month-old Quarter Horse filly," was published in Equine Veterinary Education.