Strips of trachealis muscle were dissected from the midcervical portion of the trachea of horses that were free of respiratory tract disease, and the overlying epithelium and mucosa were removed. Muscle strips were suspended in tissue baths that were filled with Krebs-bicarbonate solution, aerated with 5% CO2 in oxygen and maintained at 37 C. Isometric tension was continuously recorded. The increase in active isometric tension was concentration dependent when acetylcholine (10(-9) to 10(-4) M) or histamine (10(-9) to 10(-4) M) was added to the tissue baths in 0.5-logarithmic increments. When the tissues were contracted with acetylcholine (3.1 x 10(-6) M) or histamine (10(-4) M), the decrease in active isometric tension was concentration dependent when isoproterenol (10(-9) to 10(-4) M) or salbutamol (10(-9) to 10(-4) M) was added to the tissue baths in 0.5-logarithmic increments. There was no difference between the response to isoproterenol and salbutamol when tissues from the same horses were compared whether the tissues were contracted in response to acetylcholine (3.1 x 10(-6) M) or histamine (10(-4) M). Relaxation was antagonized by 10(-6) M propranolol. The degree of relaxation obtained in these muscle strips was considerably less than that reported from other species' tracheal muscle strips that had the epithelium and mucosa intact. We concluded that equine tracheal smooth muscle contains beta-adrenoceptors that can be stimulated by either a mixed beta-1, beta-2 agonist or a selective beta-2 agonist.