Breathing Problems - Deep Littering

[Helga1980]

Is it true that you shouldn't really deep litter a horse with breathing 'issues' (in this case a dust / pollen allergy) because the higher amonia levels can irritate their chests??

If so, what approach to those of you that own horses with allegies take to bedding??

 

[AmyMay]

I've always been told that you shouldn't deep litter a horse with breathing problems. I think because yes the spores and amonia in a deep litter bed can eccerbate the problem.

Freddy could be a bit chesty at times, and because of that I had him on rubber matting with a shavings bed that was mucked out daily (all the wet). Obviously I tried to make sure that his stable was generally as dust free as possible.

Amy is bedded on a hemp based bed - and that is brilliant, but can't remember it's name. If it had been available to me last year for Freddy then I would have used that as it is virtually dust free - much more so than even the best shavings.

EDTS: Equisorb is the name of the bedding I think.............

 

[sally2008]

That's what I've been told. I was looking at a technical bulletin on the Spillers site yesterday which also warns that some cheaper shavings have higher spore counts that good quality straw so be careful about the bedding you choose too.

I use medicated bedding for mine (mixture of large shavings and chopped straw with added eucalyptus), muck out every day, turn out as much as possible, use the best quality hay I can find and always it for 30 minutes, and generally try and keep his stable environment scrupulously clean as as dust free as possible.

 

[Helga1980]

Thanks both, I thought I remembered right.

Am trying to decide what to bed M on this year, his owner had him on rubber matting with a little sprinkling of shavings last year but he's very wet and apprently lies down a lot so gets terrible stable stains!!

I was looking at Megazorb as an option but will take a look at Equizorb as well.

 

[AmyMay]

Yes only having a small amount of shavings can make things very mucky - however, if you do go down that route then certainly Equizorb is incredibly absorbant - so 1 bale of it on rubber matting would work.

All the horse on my yard - with the exception of mine - are kept like this now. They have enough bed so that their rugs do not get completely minging - and those with good combination rugs - like Rambo's etc. stay in those 24/7 which also helps.

 

[sojeph]

Easi-bed is great!

 

[KatB]

I love that bedding, we used it for a while, do you get it locally or is there a nationwide stockist that do it??

 

[sally2008]

Two of my local feed merchants stock it and I think it is available quite widely now. My lad is definately much better on it than plain shavings.

 

[equibabe20]

Hi there,

I've always been told never to deep litter a horse with breathing problems due to the ammonia.
My boy has got severe ROA and I use the bedding Sundown Red for him which is a mizture of big flakes of shavings, straw and eucalyptus which seems to work really well with him. i also feed him HorseHage which is totally dust-free. Fairly expensive but i find even soaked hay makes him cough so its well worth spending the extra for his health.

 

[monstermunch]

Hi,
yes I beleive I have also been told that for horses with breathing issues deep littering doesn't help.