Inflammatory airway diseases are extremely common in stabled horses and often go unrecognized. Poor stable air quality causes chronic respiratory suffering affecting millions of horses.
Equine respiratory disease causes chronic suffering that is frequently missed because affected horses rarely show obvious signs at rest. The horse that slows on the second circuit, coughs occasionally after work, or never quite achieves expected performance may be experiencing significant respiratory discomfort throughout every exercise session. The stable environment is often the primary welfare problem - the confined, dusty, poorly ventilated stable that most horses spend 12-20 hours daily in creates the conditions for chronic airway inflammation. Welfare-improving stable management requires prioritizing air quality as a fundamental welfare parameter, not an optional enhancement.