Stable Cough

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Any advice about how to treat a cough brought on by last years poor hay? Apart from getting rid of the hay, obviously!!!!

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If you have your horse on straw change to shavings. He may now have a dust allergy.
 
If your horse is still on hay, even if it's better stuff, soak it before you feed it. This will reduce the dust spores. Provided the horse isn't in an overly dusty environment the cough should clear up within a couple of weeks. If your horse is still coughing after that time i'd give the vet a call and ask for some advice over the phone if you can.
 
Turn him out
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Seriously though as much as you can.
Change to haylage if you can, and ensure the envirenment is very well ventiated.
Hope he is better soon.
 
I can change to Haylage, except it turns her bonkers. Can't turn out full time as she's a princes and doesn't like being out too long.
Have heard human cough mixture is good? Anyone heard of that?
 
It won't be a princess for long if you don't sort it.

Turn her out - and ignore her protestations to come in.

Make sure your stable is scrupilously clean, feed soaked hay from the floor and make sure you have as much ventilation as possible going through the stable.

And obviously consult your vet.
 
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Can't turn out full time as she's a princes and doesn't like being out too long.


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Unless she's likely to do herself an injury rug her up well & tell her to get over it! Seriously, the best thing for a stable cough is turnout and prolonged exposure to whatever is making her cough could leave her with long term problems & increased sensitivity to dust. If you really really can't turn her out full time could you at least increase the time she's out, perhaps put her out overnight & just have her in for a few hours in the day?
 
I'm afraid we need to find another solution as the livery yard she's on only has limited turn out, and although she can get out during the day there's no turn out available at night as all the riding school ponies are out. She's already on matting, so no problem with her bedding, just this C*** hay from last year has given her a little cough. She's not getting the hay any longer.

Just wanted to speed up the cough going away!
 
Maybe speak to your vet & see if you can get a course of Ventapulmin.

She may be on matting & different hay but what about the horses around her? Particularly in a barn system your horse is exposed to dust etc from other stables so anything you do has a limited effect.

Can't she go out with the school ponies? If not then personally I'd be looking for another yard.
 
You may look for a different yard for your horse but I'm not putting my 19 year old through a move just because I decide to throw my toys out of the pram.

Am I the only person on here who thinks about the greater good of all my yard and not just my horse?

She's got a small cough, it's not serious enough to phone the vet, but it is enough for me to ask "informed individuals" if they have any solutions. I was hoping for some practical advice like the the first response "Horselyx" not criticism about how to care for my much beloved beastie.

Ventapulmin is very much a last resort, cos once you start on that it's a slippery slope.

She's not in a big posh "barn" so she's not breathing anyone elses spores.

Her stable is very well ventilated.

So thank you all for your advice.
 
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You may look for a different yard for your horse but I'm not putting my 19 year old through a move just because I decide to throw my toys out of the pram.


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I'm not sure that wanting the best for your horse is throwing your toys out of the pram......
 
Hey calm down, I wasn't intending to criticise you or your horse!

Only you know how bad the cough is - an occassional cough on exercise or coughing all the time, a gentle throat clear or really hacking.

"Am I the only person on here who thinks about the greater good of all my yard and not just my horse?"
Maybe I'm selfish but my horses are my first priority, while I wouldn't want to compromise other horses welfare I wouldn't have any problem whatsoever about trying to arrange something like increased turnout if it was a health issue. For what it's worth I wouldn't move yards lightly because one of mine is seriously stressy but if I felt the benefits outweighed the risks I would do so - again though it's something only you can weigh up.

I wasn't giving orders, just throwing ideas around. I certainly wasn't suggesting you throw your toys out of the pram!
 
Sorry about that.

Maybe on these forums ideas are bandied about a little too lightly.

It's very easy to give advice if all options are open to you but sometimes it's not that easy.

My mares welfare is obviously my priority but I'm also aware that the world doesn't revolve around me or my mare, regardless of how much livery I pay.

If she had a serious cough I wouldn't be on here asking what everone else thought, I'd be calling the vet.

It's more of a tickle she has. She was trotting when we were out hacking last night without couging but woud have a random 3 or 4 coughs when we were just walking.

She can have increased turn out just not overnight. When she is turned out she goes out without a rug cos she's not out for too long when it's cold. Buying a turnout rug is not an option I would be considering right now.

Has nobody out there got any old wives tales cos they're always the best??
 
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She can have increased turn out just not overnight. When she is turned out she goes out without a rug cos she's not out for too long when it's cold. Buying a turnout rug is not an option I would be considering right now.

Has nobody out there got any old wives tales cos they're always the best??


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Sorry, no old wives tales - just good old fashioned common sense.

Hearing lots of what you 'can't do' - which is a shame.

But essentially as said before, the best thing you can do for your horse is to turn her out as much as possible - and if that means all day then that's what you should do. I appreciate that you may be confined to the restrictions your yard imposes on you - but if they allow all day turnout, then take advantage of it.

It's amazing what a bit of fresh air can do.

And a rug doesn't cost very much if it is needed
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Not sure if its of any use to you but my horse developed a dreadful cough when I brought him in at the end of last year. He always gets cough but it tends to be Jan/Feb time. Anyway rather than getting rid of all my straw (I get it very cheaply) I tried Global Herbs, Breathe Easy and Airways Plus and they have worked a treat. Breathe Easy is more expensive than the Airways Plus but good results from both.
 
Sasha had a little cough when i rode her i swapped her to haylage and gave her a drop of human broncyl(sp?) medicine in her feed after a week it had stopped (i was told years ago to try this)
I have put her back onto soaked hay now as she goes silly on haylage and the cough has gone
 
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