Management Strategies For Respiratory Health In Horses

Respiratory health can play a vital role in the performance of your horse. There are many different ways you can try and promote a healthy respiratory system in your horse, these can cover all aspects of management and feeding. Some ways to help maintain a healthy respiratory system are as follows:

Forage:

Forage can have a big impact on the amount of dust that is in your horse’s environment so selecting a good forage is important.

If using hay, then soaking or steaming is a way of decreasing the respirable dust concentration. Research has shown that hay must be fully immersed and wet through to reduce the dust concentration, sprinkling the hay with water is not enough. Studies have shown that soaking hay for 30-45 minutes is enough time to reduce the respirable dust concentration and soaking for longer provides no additional advantages from a dust perspective. Soaking for longer will start to reduce the nutrient content of the hay. Steaming is also a very effective way of reducing the amount of dust particles with the potential for less nutrient reduction.

Haylage can be a useful forage option as it generates less organic dust than traditional hay and does not need to be soaked or steamed.

Feeding forage from the floor will also help to encourage natural respiratory drainage.

Bedding:

Similar to forage, bedding sources can be an important factor when looking at respiratory health, choosing a bedding that is as dust free as possible will be beneficial if your horse is suffering from respiratory issues. For example, it may be beneficial to choose a dust free shaving over a straw bed.

It is important to think about the timing of when you muck out and sweep the yard as well. Ideally the horse should be out in the field or at least tied up outside the stable away from the dust particles that will come from disturbing the bed and sweeping the yard. It is also beneficial to wait until the dust has settled before putting them back in, for example if you have just added new straw to your bed. The same geos for sweeping the yard, ideally the horse would be away from any areas that are being swept to reduce the amount of dust particles they may breathe in.

Turnout:

Turning horses out for as long as possible can be beneficial as it keeps them in fresh airflow helping to reduce their exposure to dust, mould, fungi and ammonia.

Feeding:

Feeding pelleted feeds or feeds that can be soaked can be of benefit as well as using a high-quality chaff by helping to reduce the dust level in their feeds.

Studies have also shown that supplementation of Omega 3 fatty acids can help to further improve clinical signs of the disease and lung function. Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial to the structure of cell membranes but are also an energy source for all bodily functions, and can even reduce inflammation in the body. The anti-inflammatory properties of Omega-3 is thought to lead to a reduction in airway inflammation. One study showed that Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation over a 2 month period showed a 60% improvement in cough scores, as well as a 50% decrease in respiratory effort (Nogradi et al, 2014). Good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in both vegetable and marine-based sources, such as in linseed, fish oil or algae. Kentucky Equine Research EO-3™ is one such supplement that is highly palatable and rich in omega 3 fatty acids that are more efficiently utilised by the horse and has been proven to reduce inflammation, allergic reactivity and induced bronchoconstriction.