Understanding equine asthma and other respiratory conditions, the role of environment and management in their prevention, and welfare-centered approaches to supporting respiratory health.
Equine respiratory conditions represent a significant and often undertreated welfare problem, particularly in stabled horses in traditional management systems. The characteristic heave line (hypertrophied abdominal muscles from chronic breathing effort) in severely affected horses reveals a chronic welfare deficit that developed over months or years of inadequate environmental management. The welfare priority is prevention through dust reduction: appropriate bedding, good ventilation, low-dust forage, and turnout access. When clinical signs develop, welfare requires both environmental management and veterinary support — managing with medication alone while maintaining dusty conditions addresses symptoms without addressing the underlying welfare failure.