coughing horse...help!

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catwithclaws

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MM has started coughing when ridden.

But only when ridden. She never ever coughs at any other time, not in stable or field or when tied on the yard etc.

She is on haylage but does have a straw bed - but surely if it was a problem with her bedding she would cough in the stable too??

She rarely does it in walk, but it is particularly bad in canter, sometimes she pulls me right forward out of the saddle as she plunges her head down to cough. It seems to not be quite so bad once she is properly warm i.e just starting to sweat

Any ideas? I realise if it continues I will need the vet out - but just thought I'd ask if anyone had any other ideas first? :o
 
I only noticed that she had the cough because I took her for a hack and had a canter on the stubble field and she coughed as she went into canter. Rode the next day and once again she coughed going into canter. I didn't like it so called the Vet. I think that I gave her three/four of days off and then just walked until the ventipulmin was finished. Then took her for a canter (stubble field) and she didn't cough! :D
 
Glad I have found this thread as mine has just started with a cough over the past few days when ridden, especially when in canter. I will give him a few days off and try the ventopulmin as had some for his pollen allergy anyway.
 
I have an IDXTB on share at the moment, he developed a cough a few weeks ago, it started just when ridden (and would ease off after he'd coughed a few times), sounds very similar to your situation - he would thrust his head down very low to cough and it didnt sound great. Even though it started off when I was riding him, it got worse over the weeks and eventually he was coughing in his stable too.

We had the vet out, prescribed him a course of ventopulmin (2 week course), and we decided to change his bed from straw to shavings. He does have pollen allergies, and I personally think he has a bit of COPD (never been tested but I'm pretty sure he does). He is already on haylage.

After the 2 weeks on ventopulmin the cough got slightly better, but was still there. I think the bedding made a massive difference - he is a very wet horse too so the ammonia wasnt helping, whereas mucking out the shavings is much easier and much more hygenic. You can even get anti-ammonia stable treatments if you want to go further and make sure that is not contributing.

The vet told us to keep riding him as much as possible (he is ridden 6 days a week with 1 day a week off because of his artritis in his hocks) because it helps clear the airways and keep things moving, so dont be afraid to ride even if it sounds bad! Just stop what you are doing, give her a long rein to cough as much as she needs, and then pick her up again and carry on.

I think you should definitely get the vet out and get some ventopulmin if possible, and then look at changing her bedding from straw to some sort of dust free bedding. And de-cobweb the stable too!

Good luck!
 
I feel your pain! So frustrating when they look fine and don't cough til you get into 2nd or 3rd gear. Just had mine scoped and trach washed today for persistent cough in trot over the last 6 weeks. He lives out with haylage so 'shouldn't' cough. He's had 2 courses of venti and sputolysin and while he was fine on the meds as soon as we stopped it came back. Will get trach wash results on Monday so hoping its some bacterial thing they can target with correct antibiotics otherwise I don't know what we do. :(
 
thanks everyone for all your stories and advice :) its really frustrating because she's such a lovely girl and its only just started. she's always been on straw ever since i've had her - does a straw allergy just spring up out of nowhere?

we did a jumping clinic on wednesday (i'm an extremely nervous jumper) and she jumped everything perfectly but every time she landed would put her head right down and do a big cough which would unseat me.
 
Unfortunately allergies can appear out of nowhere. I'm in my 30s and have suddenly become allergic to penicillin and caffiene this year?!!

I am also a nervous jumper and only recently found the confidence to start jumping on my horse and a few weeks ago I took him to a show and actually jumped in the ring, later that week he developed a cough which we have been battling with ever since so I feel your frustration. Hope you can get her sorted soon.
xxx
 
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