Horse Respiratory Supplement

Respiratory problems in horses are not uncommon and can be difficult to manage (not to mention distressing for both horse and rider). One of the best ways to manage respiratory issues in horses is to use hypoallergenic bedding or dust reduced bedding in their stables. This will help to reduce environmental irritants. Wet down/ soak hay before feeding it or feed soaked hay cubes to further reduce dust in the environment. It’s helpful to make sure there is good air flow through stable blocks and that your horse can access fresh air well. Feeding your horse from the ground is a great way to help the respiratory system to work as it should and helps with drainage. Avoid hay bars and hay nets if at all possible as they force eating from too high a head position, which isn’t good for the respiratory system. If your horse is prone to coughing or spluttering during work, ensure that you warm them up gradually with appropriate time in walk and then trot before moving into more strenuous work. If your horse suffers from RAO, it’s important to consult your vet and follow their protocols for keeping your horse’s lungs and airways as strong, clear and healthy as possible.

COPD (or RAO) is a respiratory disease that causes wheezing, coughing and nasal discharge. It is brought on by an allergy to substances found in the environment. The can be pollens but are very often moulds, hay dust and bedding dust. The reactions cause by these irritants can be quite extreme and distressing both for you and your horse. The best way to help your horse with COPD/ RAO is to reduce environmental triggers as much as possible. Try to turn your horse out as much as possible, ensure stable blocks have good air flow, use dust reduced bedding and soak or at least dampen your horse’s hay. Beyond, that your vet may prescribe medications to help your horse, particularly if they’re having an especially difficult time at a certain time of year or are struggling with exercise. You can also add nutritional elements to your horse’s diet to help support strong, healthy airways and lungs. Rosemary is especially effective for maintaining healthy lungs, as are the comprehensive herbal ingredients in Breathe-Rite, formulated for clear, strong, healthy and properly functioning equine respiratory systems.

Your horse may cough at the start of a a ride for a variety of reasons. It may be because your horse is suffering rom equine asthma or recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). This can result in coughing and difficulties with breathing the whole way through or a work out or just at the beginning, depending on severity. In many cases however, the warm up cough is completely benign and is simply a reaction to the start of exercise. When the lungs are exposed to pollen outdoors, cold air or dust from the arena footing, the lungs can become mildly irritated and react to clear the airways by coughing. This usually settles after a few minutes and isn’t something to worry too much about. You can reduce the warm up coughing and spluttering by ensuring your horse’s lungs and airways are in top condition. Keeping our horse fit and healthy is the first step to ensuring good lung health. Feeding a breathing/ respiratory supplement will also help to keep the bronchioles strong, clear and functioning as they should. It will also help to keep the sinuses and nasal cavities clear and healthy, so will support the overall respiratory health of your horse very well.