Veterinarian’s tips: Management of horses with equine asthma

Equine asthma, also known as RAO or COB/COPD (now an outdated term in humans), is one of the most common diseases in our horses and is one of the main reasons for horses leaving competitive sport. Proper management of a horse with equine asthma is essential to prevent further deterioration and to maintain a good quality of life.

But where does good management begin and where does it end?

We spoke to our partner, equine veterinarian Dr. Theresa Sommerfeld, about this and reveal the 4 most important points that should definitely be taken into account.

The most important thing in managing horses with respiratory diseases is optimizing their behavior. The only person responsible for treating them is you, the horse owner. Experience shows that the more you optimize, the better the prognosis and quality of life for your horse.

Dr. Sommerfeld gives you the four most important points about
Posture optimization at hand.

Even if the hay is of good quality, dry hay can still produce dust. The cutting height is important: if it is cut too low, a lot of dirt is taken with it, which later leads to a lot of dust formation and contamination in the hay. Steaming or soaking hay is one of the most important milestones in optimizing husbandry to bind dust. An alternative is haylage, although not every horse tolerates it well. Due to the high residual moisture in the feed and the incomplete fermentation process, many horses react to it with watery stools and gas. In addition, haylage must be fed promptly after the foil has been opened, especially in summer. If stored or produced incorrectly, dangerous bacteria can multiply in the packaged bale and the horse can become life-threateningly ill if it ingests it (keyword: botulism).

Often, many things are done right: the hay is steamed, the horse stands outside all day, is moved and inhaled - but returns to the straw box in the evening. Straw in particular is a bedding option that causes a lot of dust. The horse then stands there for several hours overnight and with every step in the box stirs up dust and microorganisms from the straw, which we often cannot even see with the naked eye. Have you ever shaken up straw and looked in the sunlight to see how many particles are floating in the air afterwards? Straw is an absolute taboo for asthmatic horses. There are plenty of low-dust alternatives to this, such as sand, shavings, peat, forest floor or even mats. For particularly sensitive horses, it is unfortunately enough if the neighboring horses are bedding their boxes with straw. Even for asthmatics, straw should be avoided in open stables - although the generous supply of fresh air means that the dust evaporates more quickly. Your horse
will still stick his nose in the straw and inhale the dust while eating.

One detail that should not be underestimated is dust that is stirred up by sweeping the stable aisle and mucking out. Ideally, your horse should not be in the stable for an hour after sweeping or mucking out. It can also help to moisten the floor before sweeping to bind the dust (only on non-slip floors).

A dry ground stirs up dust with every step. If you wash your face with a white damp cloth after riding and there is dirt on it, you can assume that more than twice as much dust has landed in your horse's airways. For asthmatics, riding on freshly watered riding areas or in the countryside after a downpour would be ideal.

Since oats are generally dusty, you should ideally moisten them and other powdered feed additives directly before feeding. Alternatively, you can bind the dust by adding oil.

Horses that suffer from equine asthma in particular benefit greatly from being kept in conditions with as much fresh air as possible. It would be ideal if your horse were outside 24 hours a day, so that it was exposed to significantly less dust.

A hay bale that is moistened but is not free of contaminants such as bacteria, fungi or dirt is unusable as animal feed. "The first layer of the bale looked bad, we removed it, underneath the bale is perfect" - unfortunately, this is a daily routine in many stables. As soon as mold or fungal infestation becomes visible on the bale, it can be assumed that the feed is contaminated even in the deeper layers. The degree of drying before pressing determines the residual moisture and whether bacteria and fungi can multiply in it. Storage must be dry, as if moisture penetrates the bale, mold or fungal infestation will develop (black spots/spots or white streaks/nests).

It should be a top priority that the hay does not contain any poisonous plants. Every horse owner should be able to identify poisonous plant parts in the hay. Some plants retain their poisonousness even after drying, and even become dangerous for horses when dried because their taste changes (for example, ragwort loses its bitter substances when dried). You can find an interesting article about poisonous plants for horses here .

Exercise ventilates the lungs and should always be encouraged as far as physically possible. A brisk gallop stimulates blood flow to the lungs and thus the self-cleaning of the lungs, general ventilation is improved and constant fitness keeps your horse more efficient. It is a mistake to think that your horse should be spared because of the diagnosis of equine asthma. As long as the horse enjoys exercise and shows no signs of significant resting dyspnea (= shortness of breath at rest), daily exercise should always be encouraged.

Are you interested in the topic of training horses with lung disease? Here you can find an article from us on the subject.

Stress hormones can have a significant impact on the body and significantly reduce the body's defenses and ability to heal itself. In the case of horses with poor health, it is particularly important to reduce the stress level to a minimum. Stress in horses can be caused by a variety of triggers, such as tournaments, riding, herd pressure, hierarchy, jealousy over food or a change in habits. If possible, you should introduce your horse to new situations slowly in order to keep the stress level low.

It's not just harder for us to catch our breath on humid summer days, but also for your horse. Horses with advanced asthma in particular should be supported on these days and not exposed to the sun. A cool, shady place to retreat to is very important.

The hay harvest is in full swing and the paddock is next to it? Is your horse allergic to certain grasses, pollen or microorganisms? Then it is important to avoid certain exposure points at the appropriate time in order to reduce irritation of the lungs. If an allergy to other factors occurs in addition to the hay dust allergy, these should also be avoided if possible.

If you have already considered all of the above points with your horse and still have not seen any improvement, we can recommend that you seek personal advice in our lung consultation. Here, you can analyse your individual situation together with the veterinarian Dr. Sommerfeld in order to draw up a long-term plan and optimise your management in the long term.