Advice needed re hay

B

bikina

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Joined
3 November 2006
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298
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London
www.expeditionequus.com
Horse has got a wheeze and cough, have started soaking hay and when I do so the water turns red! Today soaked it three times and even then the water was still the same colour! Do you think his wheezing may have something to do with the hay? Also, should I get him checked out? He tends to wheeze just before he snorts or sighs and if he is going to the toilet.
 
Yes it sounds like he may have an allergy to hay spores. Soaked hay water is always a reddish-brown colour....that's normal.

The vet could prescribe some Ventipulmin for him if his wheezing is excessive.
 
OK...was just concerned after soaking it 3 times!! Last horse I had I didn't need to soak the hay so was shocked when I saw the colour - make a nice dye for clothes!!! ;-)
 
The water usually turns a reddish brown. Soaking the hay usually sorts my horse out but he was still coughing a bit so the vet gave him Ventipulmin and a week off - he hasn't so much as cleared his nose never mind coughed since so very pleased.
 
My boy is allergic to hay spores. Vet said to soak his hay for 6 hours minimum otherwise spores aren't destroyed. have been doing it for 2 yrs now. Fantastic result !
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But I have to battle to make sure they don't forget to soak it for him at my yard when I'm not around to do it.
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They think hosing it should be enough and it's useless
crazy.gif
 
Was it you who posted about your horse "holding his flank in"?
This can be a sign of copd (broken wind), known as a heave line, it develops from the horse almost needing two inhalations to fill his lungs.
Wheezing would be a symptom of this, is he coughing or does he have nasal discharge too?
 
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