Equine asthma ranges from mild to severe and causes significant welfare impacts through impaired breathing and exercise intolerance. Management dramatically improves quality of life.
Severe equine asthma causes breathing distress that is visible and represents significant suffering. The effort of breathing in affected horses is substantial — they develop a characteristic heave line from hypertrophied abdominal muscles used to aid expiration. Living with severe breathing difficulty is inherently distressing. Management through reducing dust exposure is highly effective but requires commitment and often means significant changes to housing and feeding practices.