Respiratory conditions are among the most common and welfare-significant disorders in horses. Understanding equine airway health helps owners and managers prevent unnecessary suffering.
Respiratory disease in horses often develops insidiously over years before owners recognize it as a welfare problem rather than normal aging or reduced fitness. A horse with moderate equine asthma may cough chronically, show reduced exercise tolerance, and breathe with visible effort at rest - all signs of significant respiratory compromise and likely discomfort. The causative factors are often directly within owners' control: bedding choice, hay quality, stable ventilation, and turnout time. The tragedy of equine asthma is that it is often preventable and frequently reversible if addressed before permanent airway remodeling occurs, yet many horses live with chronic respiratory compromise because owners don't recognize the modifiable environmental causes.