Coughing...should we pass?

[Bobthecob15]

Hi all, saw a lovely pony today which ideal for my daughter but he has a bit of a cough. Longstanding, previous owners had him scoped and apparently found nothing. He tends to do it sometimes when stabled and when he first gets going under saddle then tends to stop.

What I'm more concerned about is that he's just finishing a course of steroids for it...the whole.yard has been on them apparently because the hay is really bad this year? I called his vet to speak to him and find out more, vet not available but the receptionist said that a huge number of horses they have this year have coughs because of the spores, the hay was very late being cut this year. So ordinarily they would be on some supplement which would ease it but they can't get hold of any so they have a lot of horses on steroids for coughs this year.

Obviously we'd get it vetted anyway but I'm not sure if we should pursue? I'll try the vet again. Pony is ideal otherwise.

Thanks ❤

 

[[153312]]

I would vet and ask their opinion at vetting.

 

[Michen]

Mine often does this in winter for a few months, a few coughs at the beginning of work, clears then all good. Never had an issue and I've had him nearly 5 years.

 

[Equi]

Poor hay/stable allergies can cause a cough for sure so deffo ask the vet for more info. Soaking hay can help in short term so I’d be asking the owner if that’s been tried yet.

 

[AmyMay]

I would try and speak to the vet again.

 

[Gloi]

Would you be able to keep him outdoors or in a dust free environment with dust free forage.
If it will be for a confidence giver for a novice I'd consider it but not if you are looking for more of a performance pony.

 

[Winters100]

As Gloi says it depends on what you want the pony for.

I would also want to know more about the procedure that they did when they refer to the pony being scoped. This can be a number of things, from a simple look, to flushing the lungs and taking samples for analysis.

I would also question their claim that the 'whole yard' have been on steroids. That would seem very strange indeed to me. I would also want to know what did they try before the steroids? Changing the hay, soaking it or steaming it. Changing the bedding?

If I wanted a first pony for a young child I would not rule it out, but I would definitely want to know a lot more.

 

[Celtic Fringe]

As others have said I'd get an opinion from a vet, including disclosure of previous treatments etc.
My son's horse coughs when we start trotting in the school. This is due to tension - he is fine when we warm up in walk but then has a couple of coughs when we start to trot then won't do it again at all.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thank you, I didn't think it was that unusual but just wanted to double check! Yes will try the vet again...its a first pony so not too fussed about performance other than we'd aim to do some low level pony club stuff...he has showjumping points with a previous owner but hasn't done a lot lately with this one. Just thinking about resale as he will get outgrown in 3-5 years I would say.

They also mentioned something about a new horse onto the yard and a virus...so I'm not entirely sure. They have 4 horses there. Thanks

 

[Bobthecob15]

Poor hay/stable allergies can cause a cough for sure so deffo ask the vet for more info. Soaking hay can help in short term so I’d be asking the owner if that’s been tried yet.

I think they said they soak his hay and he's on a straw bed. We'd have him out most of the time bar overnight in winter.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

Mine are coughing more this year since they’ve come in but it’s settling. If it’s a one off I wouldn’t be too worried but if it had to be regularly treated then I’d avoid as I’ve seen some horses really struggle with breathing issues requiring regular steroids including inhalers.

 

[Ratface]

My old boy coughs quite dramatically a few times in walk when we're in the school. Never when we're going out for a hack, in the stable or when turned out.
I've come to the conclusion that it's his version of a fit of the vapours.
He'd rather be hacking at warp-speed, than concentrating on twenty minutes of balance and suppling exercises.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Mine are coughing more this year since they’ve come in but it’s settling. If it’s a one off I wouldn’t be too worried but if it had to be regularly treated then I’d avoid as I’ve seen some horses really struggle with breathing issues requiring regular steroids including inhalers.

I know and this is my worry...is it the spores or has he got COPD etc ?

 

[Bobthecob15]

Would you be able to keep him outdoors or in a dust free environment with dust free forage.
If it will be for a confidence giver for a novice I'd consider it but not if you are looking for more of a performance pony.

So he'd be in at night and out during the day in winter, typical stable block which faces the yard.

 

[PapaverFollis]

The thing that raises a concern for me is that they've given you two different stories about why he's coughing there... spores and a virus.... and they've said he's been scoped but the "whole yard" is also coughing, has the whole yard also been scoped?

A bit of a winter cough would not automatically put me off a kids first pony if all other things are great BUT a seller trying to hide something behind muddled stories might.

 

[Bobthecob15]

The thing that raises a concern for me is that they've given you two different stories about why he's coughing there... spores and a virus.... and they've said he's been scoped but the "whole yard" is also coughing, has the whole yard also been scoped?

A bit of a winter cough would not automatically put me off a kids first pony if all other things are great BUT a seller trying to hide something behind muddled stories might.

I know its not very clear, they have 4 horses. I need to speak to the vet really! Thank you ?

 

[humblepie]

I show jumped a pony many many years ago and he always had a cough. It was something that he always had, always did but he was one of the most successful ponies on the local circuit. That sounds awful doesn't it but I am sure he was checked out and I know he had gorse hung in his stable for some reason! We are talking many years ago!

 

[Laurac13]

Poor hay even soaked doesn’t get rid of the spores. Coughing can be a sign of liver problems due to the bad hay. Milk thistle can correct it over time as well as feeding better forage such as marksway hayledge. I’d blood test for a liver issue good luck

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi all, saw a lovely pony today which ideal for my daughter but he has a bit of a cough. Longstanding, previous owners had him scoped and apparently found nothing. He tends to do it sometimes when stabled and when he first gets going under saddle then tends to stop.

What I'm more concerned about is that he's just finishing a course of steroids for it...the whole.yard has been on them apparently because the hay is really bad this year? I called his vet to speak to him and find out more, vet not available but the receptionist said that a huge number of horses they have this year have coughs because of the spores, the hay was very late being cut this year. So ordinarily they would be on some supplement which would ease it but they can't get hold of any so they have a lot of horses on steroids for coughs this year.

Obviously we'd get it vetted anyway but I'm not sure if we should pursue? I'll try the vet again. Pony is ideal otherwise.

Thanks ❤

My pony was coughing and the vet medicated her, I was told it would go and should not dismiss her. So I didn't, and she she coughed a few times but nothing much. No regrets

 

[Bobthecob15]

My pony was coughing and the vet medicated her, I was told it would go and should not dismiss her. So I didn't, and she she coughed a few times but nothing much. No regrets

Good to know, I think it it was the cough alone I'd not be too worried, its the steriod use that has raised alarm bells...will try and get hold of the vet again thanks

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Keeping on top of a pony with COPD issues can be a bit wearing and expensive…you need vet advice in my opinion.

 

[Winters100]

Regarding steroids to keep in mind that if you are injecting them it does increase the risk of laminitis, so if he is going to need this treatment going forward you will have to be prepared to keep him lean and fit, which may not sit well with a beginner's pony. The inhaled steroids do not carry this risk, but the equipment is relatively expensive (about GBP 1000), and someone has to be prepared to do the treatment every day. What worries me slightly is that the pony has had the steroids and is still coughing, so I would tread carefully.

 

[Melody Grey]

I think you need to know the cause of the coughing. The whole yard having been on steroids sounds bizarre. Could it be environmental? There’s a good chance you could improve on it if so- does the yard strike you as particularly damp/ dusty? Even then, a vet putting the whole yard on steroids seems odd- surely just address the environment/ management issues?
It would make more sense if it was a virus, but then I’d be worried the horse might be a carrier of something nasty if you moved it?

 

[Winters100]

I agree with Melody Grey that it sounds bizarre, but I don't think it is a virus, as it sounds like a long term problem if the previous owners were also treating it. ALso if it were a virus then surely the owner would just wait some weeks until the pony had recovered and then sell.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I agree with Melody Grey that it sounds bizarre, but I don't think it is a virus, as it sounds like a long term problem if the previous owners were also treating it. ALso if it were a virus then surely the owner would just wait some weeks until the pony had recovered and then sell.

Absolutely this is what I don't get...I think it is long term but perhaps a recent flare up? My gut is saying walk away to be honest x

 

[GreyDot]

I would also be wary, as you said another horse came on the yard with 'a virus'. I wouldn't want to be bringing a new pony back to my yard which had been exposed to a virus, unless you plan to quarantine first.

 

[Prancerpoos]

Slightly off topic - but whole yard on steroids because of bad hay? Wouldn’t you change the hay or feed haylage? I know that might cost more, but nobody ever said that keeping a healthy horse would be cheap.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Walk away - we have a horse who had his first episode of asthma last summer. He’s now living out in what our vet says are absolutely perfect conditions for an asthmatic horse and yet he’s had two flare ups which have needed treatment since September. We have a (very expensive) nebuliser which he is angelic about but it’s time-consuming and worrying. It looks like the recent cold spell triggered his last attack so we’re obsessively checking weather forecasts. We love him dearly but I wouldn’t willingly take on a horse with breathing issues in future.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I would walk away personally as the story appears to have changed a couple times and I can't see a whole yard being on steroids.
There seemed to be a virus going around my yard last year. Various horses coughing in adjoining fields. None of them had any issues but one of my horses started to cough too but didn't get better- over £1,000 in vet bills later and she was confirmed COPD. I now worry if she starts to cough, stress about hay quality, when ridden always looking at her breathing. She also feels the cold and has gone from ring clipped and never being rugged to not clipped and wearing 200g rug with neck cover.

 

[Kaylum]

Slightly off topic - but whole yard on steroids because of bad hay? Wouldn’t you change the hay or feed haylage? I know that might cost more, but nobody ever said that keeping a healthy horse would be cheap.

This and have you asked your new YO if they would accept a coughing horse on the yard even after quarantine?