COPD?

V

VeronicaJ

Member
Joined
21 May 2010
Messages
13
Location
France
Visit site
I have a large rising 20 yo Selle Francaise mare that I brought in from France and is currently kept at full livery. She is in an American barn with just one opening in use overnight and in bad weather conditions. Due to weather the horses are being kept in 24/7. The stables are all open to companions each side which would normally be good, but her current next door neighbour has a serious foot condition which means he needs to be kept on sawdust. This - as the name suggests - is very dusty, there is lots of dust on my mares coat and rug, and sometimes if you arrive shortly after mucking out the whole barn is full of dust. My lovely girl has developed a bad racking cough which usually improves with exercise, but yesterday out hacking, she had a really bad coughing fit on the way home as well. Also she is getting snuffly and snorty in her flatwork (I am doing dressage with her). Help! Is she going to develop a long term problem? (Like me? I have asthma). She's old so I worry. The yard owners aren't easy and I need some experience and feedback from others before approaching them. Thanks v much
 
Dust of any sort is a problem for horses. Sounds like she would benefit from veterinary intervention for her breathing and a better ventilated stable or turned out.
 
She's never had a problem until she was in the dusty conditions. I am wondering whether she will develop a chronic problem if she continues to be kept where she is, and whether I should make a fuss.
 
VeronicaJ said:
She's never had a problem until she was in the dusty conditions. I am wondering whether she will develop a chronic problem if she continues to be kept where she is, and whether I should make a fuss.
Click to expand...

She may well develop a chronic problem, no bedding should be so dusty that it makes a layer on the horses rugs, frankly I would be concerned about the care in a full livery yard that also has a horse with a serious foot condition that requires dust to help it recover, guessing it may be canker rather than just thrush, whatever it is the other horses in the barn should not be exposed to potentially harmful amounts of dust, moving elsewhere could be a better option as I know that standards of care in France are not always the best.
Ideally all bedding down should be done when the horse is out to give any dust a chance to settle but this sounds beyond normal.
 
Thank you be positive, very helpful. Agree about France as we lived there for some time, but this livery yard is in England and is a competition yard. Yes horse next door has canker. I am on the waiting list for a different yard, but not lots of choice here. Will speak to the owner in the morning about my concerns
 
In France I may have expected the conditions you describe but not over here in a competition yard, as for the canker I went to my vets several times when they had one in being treated with serious canker, the stables and indoor yard area were certainly not dusty in any way, I cannot remember what the horse was bedded on possibly a small amount of shavings on top of the rubber mats, there is little point in getting the feet right but giving it a chronic cough in the process, if your horse is suffering the other one that is living on the dust is almost certainly even worse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top