Breathing after heavy work

[darracott]

Hi, this is my first time using this but hopefully ive done it right. Anyway, the problem is my daughter has a Polish warmblood x cob and hunts in the field when she goes out. Her boyfriend has recently started using him to whip in and the last couple of times after a really good run when he stops he is 'double blowing' around his flank area (not sure how to describe it really). Any ideas why this might be happening as my daughter has had hard days in the field with him and it doesnt happen. She is speaking to the vet today. She did say hes been a bit off colour over the last couple of weeks.

 

[Birker2020]

It sounds like he could have a upper respiratory tract infection particularly if he is off colour. Maybe bloods might be the way forward?

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

That double breath is usually the sign of a horse with COPD. The second "push" out of the air is the horse's abdominal muscles trying to do what his lungs and diaphragm can no longer do. Has he got a heaves line? This is a clear line running a sort of wobbly parallel to the ground midway across his flanks/belly and is the demarkation of the muscles that are having to do the extra work. A horse with COPD struggles to get enough oxygen into his body for his muscles to work. The harder the work, the more oxygen the body needs and the more trouble the horse is in.

The most common cause for COPD is allergy to the spores in hay. Have you had a dodgy load of hay recently? Has he ever shown signs of this in previous winters? I'd get the vet out - he may need to be endoscoped. Fingers crossed.