As daylight hours grow shorter, horses and ponies
are rugged up or brought indoors for much of the time to protect them
from the cold weather. And, warns The Horse Trust, this is the time of year when respiratory diseases are most likely to strike.
"Horses are outdoor animals which have to adjust to living indoors in our winter climate - but all too often poor housing exposes them to dust, fungi, toxins and ammonia which damage their lungs and case various diseases," says Paul Jepson, the Trust's chief executive and resident veterinary surgeon.
Among the diseases associated with stabling are:
- Hay or dust allergy
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Small Airway Disease
- Broken Wind
To counter the risk of illness, stables should be well-ventilated with an open top door and vents at the back, sides or front. The horse's body heat will warm the air, which will rise and leave at the high points, allowing fresh air to circulate in the stable.
It is also important to ensure that all bedding is low in dust, and owners should opt for shredded wood fibre, dust-extracted wood shavings, paper, cardboard or hemp. "The most common bedding is straw, but it is hard to guarantee that this has a low dust content," Mr Jepson warns. "Deep litter systems can also encourage fungal spores to multiply and increase the ammonia levels in the stable."
It goes without saying that all bedding should be stored away from the animal's living quarters, to reduce exposure to dust and spores.
This summer's long, wet spells mean that hay is also at risk of carrying fungal spores, because it has been cured in damp, humid conditions. Soaking the hay before feeding reduces the risks of the spores becoming airborne, but may also risk reducing the nutrient and vitamin content of the hay.
"We advise that hay should be immersed completely in water for no less than 20 minutes and no more than two hours," Mr Jepson says. "Similarly, it is better to damp down hard feed with a small amount of water to reduce the risk of feed dust being inhaled."
"Leave your horse outside while mucking out the stable each day, as forking out new bedding also creates dust," says Mr Jepson. "Do this job first, then groom him well away from the stable so that the wind can't blow dander or dust back inside - while the dust from the fresh bedding has time to settle down, then make sure that the muck heap is also well away from the stable area."
Sensible precautions should minimise the risk of challenging your horse's nostrils and lungs and help to ensure he stays healthy over the winter.
Click here to download the Horse Respiratory Health Adobe
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