Mythbuster Monday: Horses With Asthma Should Be Stalled

On Mythbuster Monday, we tackle a variety of equestrian myths to either bust or confirm. Today’s discussion: Should horses be stalled if they have Asthma?

It’s Mythbuster Monday, where Horse Nation dives into different equestrian myths and provides research-based evidence to either bust or confirm those myths. Today’s topic: Should horses be stalled if they have Asthma?  What is Asthma? How does it effect a horse’s lungs? Read further to find out!

Myth: A horse with Asthma should be stalled to decrease outdoor air toxin intake

Myth or Fact: Myth

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Asthma in horses is a chronic, allergen-related inflammatory disease of the lower airways. It can affect horses of all shapes, breeds, and ages. Symptoms include shortness of breath at rest, coughing, exercise intolerance, nasal discharge, hypertrophy of the abdominal muscles, expiratory wheezing, and poor body condition.

But, should horses with Asthma be stalled to keep the condition from becoming exacerbated?

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According to veterinarian Laurent L. Couetil, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, the ideal environment for horses with asthma is pasture due to better ventilation. When pastured, horses with severe asthma are not exposed to as much dust as they would be in stalls. Because there is more air flow in the pasture, ventilation is better, minimizing exposure to allergens and irritants.

From Dr. Couetil’s experience, she states that most horses show improvement after one to two weeks of being turned outside. However, if the horse’s asthma stems from allergens, he may suffer from bouts of asthma when in contact with the allergen. These horses are generally affected by asthma more in months where allergens are at their peak, June through September. For these horses, it is recommended to keep them stalled in low-dust areas.

Dr. Amanda Trimble of Texas A&M writes that asthma symptoms in horses are usually worse in the winter due to the cold, dry air. While this affects most horses, cases of summer pasture associated asthma is commonly found in the southern United States during the hot summer months. However, most cases of equine asthma are due to hypersensitivity to dust, mold, and bacterial toxins found in hay. Dr. Trimble states that the best way to manage symptoms is to place the horse on pasture to reduce his exposure to dust and mold. Also she notes that horses with asthma should never be in the barn while it’s being cleaned and leaf blowers should never be used to clear aisles. She states that Turing a horse out as much as possible is helpful unless the horse has pasture-associated asthma, then the opposite is true.

While pasture is the best option for horses with asthma, horses should be stalled when there are high winds, burning pastures or wild fires in the area, or extreme weather, greater than 90 degrees or less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Horses should not be eating from round bales out in pasture due to the ability to inhale mold and dust particles. All hay should be wet or steamed  or a complete feed should be supplied instead.

Park City Equine Center asserts that horses with asthma should be placed on pasture to keep the horse outdoors and away from mold, fungi, dust, endotoxins, and ammonia. This helps decrease the risk of asthma flare-ups due to improved ventilation. If a horse can not be pastured, recommendations include storing hay in a different building, using shavings instead of straw, cleaning stalls daily, and changing diet to alfalfa or pellet only instead of dusty first and second cut hay.

After diving into the literature, unless the horse has summer-associated asthma, it is better for him to be out to pasture. This is due to increased ventilation and decreased exposure to irritants and toxins. Always consult your veterinarian for your horse’s unique case and to come up with the best plan of action.


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