Equine asthma — formerly called COPD or RAO — is one of the most common respiratory conditions in horses and is strongly linked to stable management, particularly dust and mould spores in hay and bedding. Management changes often achieve better results than medication alone.
Equine asthma causes genuine suffering — the laboured breathing and persistent cough of a horse with severe airway obstruction represent significant welfare harm that is entirely preventable through appropriate stable management. The condition is strongly environmentally driven, meaning that medication alone without management change is an incomplete response that treats symptoms while perpetuating the cause. The welfare-consistent management approach prioritises reduction of airway irritants through soaked or steamed hay, low-dust bedding, maximum turnout, and good stable ventilation, with medication as an adjunct during acute exacerbations rather than a permanent substitute for environmental management. Horses managed this way typically achieve significantly better respiratory health than those managed on medication in unchanged dusty stable environments.