Managing a dust allergy.

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poiuytrewq

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Best practice please! Give me your tips.

I knew Alf had a dust allergy when i got him. I'm not sure how bad it is really but had aimed to keep him out as much as possible. With it being as wet as it has been and the fact he and my other horse didn't get on for ages my field is already looking worse for ware and has a long winter to go yet.
So Ziggy horse has been stabled and Alf has had the turnout pen alongside him with soaked hay, whilst this has worked, for some reason several mornings I've some out to find him with his front legs the wrong side of the fence. he's breaking it daily and I'm very concerned about him damaging his legs so feel like its safer to bring him in properly.

I've cleared out a stable (was straw), dusted the ledges/ cobwebbed etc. I had a load or rapestraw bedding left over so put that down. Will obviously continue to soak hay, although still planning a steamer. There is a window at the back I'll leave open in all weathers.

I can't wash the stable out regularly as it wont drain but can wipe ledges regularly and keep cobwebs away.
He is on Audvarde balsamic air already. I won't use turnouts in the stable, will wash legs (things i don't normally tend to do but keeps mud dust levels down)
I'm wondering if less dust is created by semi deep littering and disturbing the bed as little as possible or would chucking it all up daily and sweeping be a cleaner atmospherically?

Last horse was lost partly to breathing problems hence being very keen to go all out on things at this stage.

Any other good management tips?
 
If you can keep a good air flow, that helps a lot. Don't muck out around him if you can help it, and try not to fill hay nets within breathing distance. If he can be in a stable where he can hang his head out into the fresh air, that is so much better than a stable - within - the - barn arrangement. My cob has a hay and pollen allergy, and last summer discovered that Loratadine antihistamines from the supermarket damped down his usual reaction. Good luck 🤞
 
I think the bed needs to be as dust free as possible and mucked out properly every day (when the horse isn't going to be in it for a few hours). Ammonia is awful for lungs and the edges of beds can easily hide mould spores.
 
He's in an outdoor stable so can stick his head out both front and back. He will keep the same routine. They generally come in at 5ish and get turned out at 6.30 ish, so yes I have plenty of oppertunity to muck out when he's not around. If for some reason they can't go out he can go in the turnout pen. I'm happy for him to be out there if i can keep an eye but one night this week he hadn't eaten much hay so I worry how long he'd been stood with a stuck leg! So he will never ever be in all day and night whatever the weather.
He seems ok on soaked or steamed hay *touch wood! I've fed it since he arrived in September and he came with a few bales of his own hay so is very used to it.

Meleeka- That's what I figured would be best and is what i do with the others, but then some bedding sites reccomend letting it sit and settle, saying it best not to disturb and just dig wet at the surface.
 
I make sure stables are mucked out in the morning so everything is settled when they come in at night and the floors get a really good sweep.
 
Well he's super clean, usually a bonus but clean horses= less bedding turnaround and dry stables which with our last one meant he got dustier then average!

I'm really not complaining though 🤣 I was a bit annoyed at having to buy in bedding when I'm not working as much this year and have lovely free straw so at least I'm not going to be having to top it up constantly.
 
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