Other horses on the yard coughing!

[PnO]

I keep my two horses at a small DIY yard, the yard is sort of split in two with the main yard (around 9 boxes) on one side and around the back there are 4 boxes in a sort of indoor barn. I keep my two round the back in the barn with another guy and his two horses. Recently I've noticed them both coughing and the one which is stabled directly next to mine has had big lumps of white youcky stuff on the floor outside her stable which she has coughed up. As i said one of my horses is stabled directly next to this one, and my other horse is in the next stable along. As the stables are indoors they are very open and the top half of the stble is like a big grill, which they can just touch noses through. Obviously I don't want either of my two to catch this cough as in May they both had a respiratory infection and i'm still paying off the vets bill! (My older horse caught it when staying at a friends yard for the night) The guy who owns the horses is Slovakian and I mentioned to him the other morning that they had been coughing and he said he knew but didn't seem too bothered

Is there anything I can do to prevent my two catching there cough? There all fed the same hay, but are on different straw and it has to be said that his stable management isn't the best!

Thanks x

 

[eggs]

Sounds like his horse could have a dust allergy. Does he soak her hay? If he doesn't it would be worth him doing so to see if this clears up the coughing and white snot.

 

[Persephone]

Agree with eggs.

I would also bear in mind that if his stable hygiene is poor yours could end up developing problems too.

 

[lauriebaker]

Having had a mare with COPD I was often told that the white stuff was excessive secretion and only to panic if it got yellow or green which would indicate an infection. Perhaps take a look at your hay quality and consider soaking or steaming as a preventative. Monitoring temperature could also help you discover if there's anything going on before it gets nasty (maybe you could offer to take your neighbour's horses' temp too - it might put your mind at rest and encourage a chat about controlling spores in horses who cough?!)