Pony Struggling with Dust

[atropa]

How does everyone deal with summer dust build up in their stables?
Moved yard earlier this year and went from outdoor stables to American barn style, during the summer my pony seems to have developed a cough.
She is bedded on Bedmax, i swapped her to haylage instead of hay, do not muck out with her around and i religiously sweep walls and bars of stables, but I'm really struggling with the fine grey dust that seems to settle over everything from the barn building itself!
She is out a lot during summer but has to come in some days for weight management/keeping my other lame horse company, so I have kept a decent size bed down for her, but I feel like copious amounts of dust fall from the building, settling over and then into her bed when i muck out. I can actually see the thin grey layer every day when I sweep up.
Has anyone ever found a solution around this? Would I be better just giving her a tiny bed everyday that she is in and clearing the stable/thoroughly sweeping after every use? It seems a shame as she loves to lie down when in but I'm so worried about the dust damaging her airways. My other horse does not seem affected at all but is bedded on a different bedding and has a much longer respiratory tract than the pony.
ETA She is also on a respiratory supplement and has been checked by the vet who is confident it's environmental and suggested changes such as changing to haylage which I have implemented.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My mare developed COPD or equine asthma as it's now called after a virus. At the time she was stabled in American barn stabling, which although had very good air flow and all horses used haylage and shavings, still had the grey dust you mention. She struggled there and improved when moved to an outside stable with no shared air space.

 

[Nari]

I also think you're going to struggle in that enviroment. The best you can do is keep her out as much as possible. Is there nothing else that can keep the lame horse company? Having her in eating haylage is likely to increase her weight, out on poor grazing is better, if she must be in feed soaked or steamed hay - soaking will also reduce calories.

 

[Abby-Lou]

I hose down the barn walls & keep on mats very tiny 1m square pee bed which I replace each morning.

 

[atropa]

Unfortunately not, my other mare is on loan. I used to soak hay but I worry about the increased risk of spores once the soaked hay has dried out. At the minute she's a good weight. I can and do keep her out as much as possible, the cough is just very obvious when she comes in.

 

[atropa]

My mare developed COPD or equine asthma as it's now called after a virus. At the time she was stabled in American barn stabling, which although had very good air flow and all horses used haylage and shavings, still had the grey dust you mention. She struggled there and improved when moved to an outside stable with no shared air space.

I worry so much about it becoming a chronic issue. Moving her unfortunately is not an option as I live here so I think if worst comes to worst my only option would be to move her on

 

[atropa]

I hose down the barn walls & keep on mats very tiny 1m square pee bed which I replace each morning.

Thank you, I did see online that mats are supposd to reduce dust as apparently the horse standing on the bare floor can create dust also. Its another difference between her and my other mare, she is older so has thick mats and i never see dust (apart from forage dust) in her stable. Will look into some stable mats and see if it helps

 

[Nari]

Unfortunately not, my other mare is on loan. I used to soak hay but I worry about the increased risk of spores once the soaked hay has dried out. At the minute she's a good weight. I can and do keep her out as much as possible, the cough is just very obvious when she comes in.

So only soak enough for one day - it shouldn't be hanging around long anyway - and she'll eat it all before it's dried out.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of my horses years ago was kept in an American barn and his breathing became terrible I think some horses just don't cope, I also found out a lot of the liveries deep littered only mucking out every six months which again some horses can't be kept like that, and although he was mucked out every day and on shavings he surrounded by straw and in my opinion dirty stables, I ended up moving stables to an outside one and within weeks his breathing went back to normal.

 

[Esmae]

My old boy couldn't tolerate shavings at any price. Swapped to straw and he was far better. I must say that I don't like the barn system, I prefer them to be in outside traditional type stables for decent airflow.

 

[atropa]

One of my horses years ago was kept in an American barn and his breathing became terrible I think some horses just don't cope, I also found out a lot of the liveries deep littered only mucking out every six months which again some horses can't be kept like that, and although he was mucked out every day and on shavings he surrounded by straw and in my opinion dirty stables, I ended up moving stables to an outside one and within weeks his breathing went back to normal.

Yes it is in the back of my mind that no matter what I do, she's still at the mercy of people around us, who to be fair are very good and clean stable neighbours. Unfortunately there is no option for outside stabling here or I would move her

My old boy couldn't tolerate shavings at any price. Swapped to straw and he was far better. I must say that I don't like the barn system, I prefer them to be in outside traditional type stables for decent airflow.

Thank you, at our last yard she was on straw in an outdoor stable but that unfortunately isn't an option here. I can (and will) swap bedding to something even less dusty, but she didn't have the coughing issue during winter on shavings, it only seems to have appeared in summer which makes me think it may not be the bedding.

 

[windand rain]

You could use pelleted bedding it is kept slightly damp straw , hemp or wood could always have a watering can of water over them. In summer anyway might be a bit colder in winter but the damp air might suffice to keep dust down then

 

[CanteringCarrot]

The American barn set-up is quite a struggle for horses with a dust allergy.

My horse has a dust allergy but he lives in a shedrow with attached paddock, so this set-up works better for him.

I don't soak his hay, but I hose it down. He typically eats out of nets, so that's even easier to just hose down the net full of hay. I've never had any issues with spores, and he's also insanely allergic to mold too.
He can also handle haylage so that's an option.

I would not rob him of his bedding since he does lay down and sleep. He cannot deal with wood shavings, so he's on flax straw pellets. Flax straw pellets, flax straw bedding, this stuff we call "waldboden" or forest floor, and even regular straw pellets are what works for him. None of those are dusty. No mats.
Fortunately his neighbor has one of these beddings as well. I can get away with no medication or supplements (aside from MSM and linseed) if he's in the proper set-up such as he is now. It may limit my livery options, but it is best for his long-term health.

 

[atropa]

The American barn set-up is quite a struggle for horses with a dust allergy.

My horse has a dust allergy but he lives in a shedrow with attached paddock, so this set-up works better for him.

I don't soak his hay, but I hose it down. He typically eats out of nets, so that's even easier to just hose down the net full of hay. I've never had any issues with spores, and he's also insanely allergic to mold too.
He can also handle haylage so that's an option.

I would not rob him of his bedding since he does lay down and sleep. He cannot deal with wood shavings, so he's on flax straw pellets. Flax straw pellets, flax straw bedding, this stuff we call "waldboden" or forest floor, and even regular straw pellets are what works for him. None of those are dusty. No mats.
Fortunately his neighbor has one of these beddings as well. I can get away with no medication or supplements (aside from MSM and linseed) if he's in the proper set-up such as he is now. It may limit my livery options, but it is best for his long-term health.

Thanks, I think I will try changing her bedding and also damp the entire floor down before she comes in.
Unfortunately moving yard to provide an outdoor stable isn't an option as I live here, so if it really comes down to it I'd have to sell her on

 

[Nari]

If you live there could you not put up an outdoor stable for her?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Hmm. Could you just set up a shelter (of the permanent or mobile variety) in a field or paddock? It doesn't have to be anything fancy or complex. Sometimes you can even buy something decent second hand.

 

[TPO]

Can you swap stables with anyone to be next to the barn doors instead of mid row (if that's where you are)?

I found pellets much dustier than shavings. When they dried out it was a very fine dust, I also don't like using a bedding that is damp to the touch. I swapped from Bedmax to Nedz Pro and noticed a further improvement.

 

[tatty_v]

With the best will in the world there’s a limit to what you can do in that kind of setup without moving her to an outside stable (which would be the best). Can you at least move her closer to the door where she gets more fresh air?

 

[VioletStripe]

Get the vet out to run some tests first and potentially medicate, and then you must change their environment - this can become chronic and nasty, speaking from experience this summer. Get them out as much as possible, damp hay and feed from the floor only, dust free bedding. If you can't move them out of the barn, stable them on the end close to the door if you can.

 

[atropa]

If you live there could you not put up an outdoor stable for her?

Nope, I don't own the yard, I just live on it. If it was mine I would

Can you swap stables with anyone to be next to the barn doors instead of mid row (if that's where you are)?

I found pellets much dustier than shavings. When they dried out it was a very fine dust, I also don't like using a bedding that is damp to the touch. I swapped from Bedmax to Nedz Pro and noticed a further improvement.

Yes I think I actually would be able to swap stables to provide some more air flow for her. Thank you so much for the suggestions and experiences everyone, I think a change of bedding, stable move and possibly damping down the stable before she is in will help. It has already improved massively since implementing the measures advised by my vet so fingers crossed these additional measures will keep it in check when she needs to be in.