Horse Respiratory Health: Dust, Stabling and COPD

Equine asthma and heaves affect a significant proportion of stabled horses. Understanding the environmental triggers and management changes that prevent and manage respiratory disease is essential for horse welfare.

Key Facts

Equine asthma affects an estimated 14% of horses in the UK; severe forms (heaves) are debilitating and painful
Hay storage in stables creates dust levels that trigger chronic inflammatory airway disease
Soaking or steaming hay reduces respirable dust by 90%+ compared to dry hay feeding
Deep bedding with adequate ventilation provides the foundation for respiratory health management
Horses with respiratory disease often suffer for months before owners recognise the connection to stable management

Welfare Considerations

Equine respiratory disease is a welfare problem that is both common and highly preventable. The primary cause - exposure to dust, fungal spores and endotoxins from hay and bedding - is entirely manageable with appropriate stable design and husbandry. Yet many horses are kept in poorly ventilated stables with dusty hay, developing chronic airway inflammation that causes breathing difficulty, exercise intolerance and reduced quality of life. The management solution - steamed hay or haylage, rubber matting over shavings, ridge ventilation and regular mucking out - requires knowledge and commitment but not exceptional resources. Veterinary guidance should always include environmental management alongside medication.

What You Can Do

Steam or soak hay before feeding horses with any respiratory signs
Ensure stables have adequate ventilation (open-fronted or ridge ventilation) without draughts
Choose low-dust bedding such as rubber mats, shavings or paper over straw for at-risk horses
Ask your vet for a full stable management review if your horse has respiratory symptoms
Support equine respiratory research through the Horse Trust and equine health charities