Horse Respiratory Health and Stable Management

Respiratory disease is the second most common cause of poor performance in sport horses, and its welfare and management implications are substantially driven by stable environment decisions.

Key Facts

Equine asthma, formerly called COPD or heaves, affects horses in poorly ventilated stabling with high dust and mould spore exposure.
Horses spend up to 22 hours per day in stables in some management systems — making stable air quality critical to respiratory welfare.
Haylage, soaked hay, or dust-extracted hay dramatically reduces respirable particle exposure compared to dry round bale hay.
Deep litter systems and rubber matting reduce bedding dust compared to traditional straw managed as daily muck-out.
Ventilation through ridge and eaves openings is more effective than through stable doors for maintaining airborne particle clearance.

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory health is one of the most significant welfare costs of intensive stabling in horses and is substantially preventable through management changes that also improve performance. A horse breathing mould spores and hay dust for 22 hours daily is experiencing ongoing respiratory irritation and immune activation. The welfare improvement from transitioning to soaked or dust-extracted forage and improving stable ventilation is achievable, measurable, and benefits both the horse and the rider through improved performance.

What You Can Do

Soak hay for a minimum of 20 minutes or use haylage or dust-extracted hay for any horse with respiratory signs.
Ensure your stable has adequate ridge ventilation and avoid closing horses in with windows and doors shut.
Manage bedding depth and frequency to minimize ammonia and fungal spore production in the stable.
Request a respiratory health assessment from your vet if your horse coughs, has exercise intolerance, or shows nasal discharge.