My pony has breathing problems - advice please

[sue_ellen]

So my elderly (22yrs young) boy Rufus has settled in well and we are both enjoying ourselves pottering around the countryside. I knew he had arthritis and "hayfever" when I took him on. Apparantly he needs his hay dampened and a nose net in the summer and then he is fine.
He is struggling to breathe. At rest he is ok but a bit of exertion and his breathing speeds up and it is quick and shallow. I think a big part of this is lack of fitness, but he is struggling. Had the vet and she says that actually it isnt that bad and it is a seasonal thing, and he now has an inhaler.
I know I need to fitten him up, it is very difficult to do much at the minute as he cant be worked in the menage and it is too wet to ride very far, but I wondered if anyone can recommend any supplements or anything that I can give him that will help, as he only gets the inhaler when we ride.
Any suggestions gratefully recieved!
Thanks

 

[ThePony]

My mare has copd and so has episodes of bad breathing and horrible snots. For her winergy ventilate def helps - I'ce tried everything under the sun and it definatly makes a difference for her. If she does have bad bits then a course of ventopulmin helps her. Can he live out? If he is in is he on dust free bedding? Instead of damping the hay can you totally soak it or move to haylge? What is his weight like?

 

[kylee86]

my last horse had very bad copd if he had to be stabled he was put in the outside block. we used eith newspaper shredding or shavings that had been treated. i lovd his shavings they smelt like vicks. also his hay was soaked for 20 -30 mins and left on a bucket to drain. we would add garlic into his feed as this helps with breathing. we found on his weezey days if we longed him he would cough and snot all the rubbish out and was fine after.

my 26 yr old mare also had copd and last summer had a bad attack vet had to be called and she gave her an injection to open her lungs up. since then we would walk her inhand and get her trotting few paces to blow it all out. we give her soaked hay stable her on shavings but she lives out 24\7 only stable for farrier ect. also keeping her weight down has helped alot.

the rape in the fields sets mine of that have copd and when they cut the hay\straw fields also sets her off other than that we manage them realy well