Respiratory disease prevention in horses centers on reducing airborne dust, mold, and endotoxins through evidence-based stable management that protects airway health throughout a working life.
Respiratory disease prevention welfare is fundamentally about stable environment management because horses in conventional management are exposed to airborne particle loads that would be unacceptable in human occupational settings. The horse has no ability to remove itself from a dusty stable, making the environment entirely a caregiver responsibility. Steam treatment of hay, appropriate bedding, and effective ventilation together create conditions where horses can breathe comfortably throughout their lives without accumulating airway inflammation. These management investments prevent years of chronic respiratory discomfort that significantly reduces quality of life in horses who develop equine asthma from inadequate prevention.