Dust allergies - any experience?

[Acolyte]

The horse I ride has a dust allergy - he is not on any medication, but lives out 24/7 to reduce his exposure to dusty environments. Generally he is hunted over the winter and ridden lightly during the summer, but now I am riding him he is being exercised (usually hacking) approx 5 tmes a week.

I have noticed since I have been riding him that when I do canter work with him he blows a lot, and his recovery rate is absolutely awful. Initially I put it down to a lack of fitness (he is fed far too much hard feed for the work he does) but even now he is exercised more he is getting worse rather than better

I contacted his owner today and told her, and she is going to speak to the vet again, but I wondered if anyone had any experience of working horses with dust allergies? For the moment I will just do gentle exercise at walk and trot with him until the vet has seen him again.

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

My horse has a slight dust allergy and blows and sometimes coughs when you canter her but i was told to work her through it and she is better now.

 

[Acolyte]

Ah thats interesting, thanks! I would have expected him to cough when doing faster work but he doesnt - just breathes very very fast, and as I said takes ages (15 mins is not unusual after just 2 circuits of the field) to go back to a 'normal' breathing rate

 

[hellybelly6]

Good idea to get the vet out, his condition may or may not have deteriorated.

My horse has a slight cough with hay and shavings so I avoid both. He is also intolerant of protein, alfalfa, sugar. Its just as well he is a good doer!

 

[Happytohack]

I have one with a dust allergy. He has been quite bad this summer as we have had rape in a nearby field. During harvest, he was particularly bad and wheezing quite noticeably. He has Ventipulmin as and when he needs it. I wouldn't do any fast work at all with the horse you ride until the vet has examined him, if his breathing is as laboured as you say - you could end up doing more harm than good.

 

[Acolyte]

Yes, as I said in my OP, I am going to stick to just walking and a bit of trotting with him for now

I'm not sure whether this horse will end up on Ventapulmin - he is quite odd in that he doesnt wheeze, coughs very occasionally (no more than any other horse without an allergy) so really shows very few symptoms of his allergy other than poor recovery rate.

Thanks for the input though everyone, will wait and see what the vet says now

 

[the watcher]

Yes, the mare I have on loan came with COPD, doesn't cough so much but did have clear heave lines and her breathing was noisy.
It has taken 5 years, some veterinary medication, long term use of products from Global Herbs and stringent management of bedding, forage and surrounding pollens and harvest dust impacts, but now you simply would not know she ever had a problem. This is a huge improvement as I honestly believed her lungs were damaged to an extent that they could never recover.

Sadly there is rarely a quick fix to this type of problem.

 

[smellyellie741]

my mare has a dust allergy so she is on aqua-max and has her hay soaked the fitter they get the eiaer they find it but normally theres no way of 'fixing' the problem only preventing it

 

[Sarah B]

I too have a mare prone to dust allergy and breathing problems. She is on permanent medication - a supplement I get from the vets which lasts me a few weeks.
I would certainly get it checked out like you have suggested as often you dont know the extent until they are checked and examined.