Tips on dust free stabling needed..

[Fiona]

My 13.2 5yo connie coughed while stabled when we got him in the spring, but he had had a virus, which seemingly got reactivated by the stress of moving and of starting his vaccinations. .. As soon as we could we got him out 24/7 and he has been fine all summer. Possibly one cough at start of ride. Or sometimes not..

While he was out we disinfected and painted his stable.

Bought some dust free shavings which look a bit like bed max and are soaking his hay.

He's been in at night since Tuesday and has started to cough a little more (three times schooling on Friday and about half a dozen on hunt hack today).

I'm guessing that means I'm not dust free enough.

Any suggestions what else I can do?

He is semi due his next vaccination so I can get vet out and discuss. . He has no nasal discharge. Just a single cough every now and then...

Fiona

 

[lamlyn2012]

I use cardboard which has very little dust. I find it very absorbent and easy to do and rots down well. Also doesn't stick in the tail like shavings!
If you try it though don't buy a cheap one. I use Walmsley premier bedding.

 

[lamlyn2012]

Ah, just noticed your on N I so Walmsley probably not available there.

 

[Cecile]

We had one like this, what worked for us is keeping her out as much as possible, steaming her hay as soaking never seemed to help, we also used Benylin cough syrup (Vet suggestion) occasionally (1 wooden spoonful twice a day) and we also found a small amount of Vick Vapour rub smeared thinly around each nostril helped to really clear the airways

It eventually just stopped

 

[Fiona]

Thanks lamlyn I'll investigate cardboard bedding. I'm not sure if it available here.

Cecile do you have a hay gain steamer?

Fiona

 

[AdorableAlice]

Ventilation is key. I have had a horrid summer with 2 young horses picking up a very nasty virus that they have not quite shaken off yet. I have made some major changes to ventilation in the boxes by having a window in the back wall, made out of a frame and galebreak mesh,
http://www.galebreakeragri.com/siteenglish/products_uk/rollerscreen_uk.html

It can be bought on a roll and cut to size for the frame, most of the time I just leave the frame open so there is an air flow from front to back. The stable will be cold in winter but a rug and plenty of hay will keep the horse warm. I have changed onto pellets and find there is no ammonia smells at all, it is worth remembering it is not just dust and spores that irritate the airways.

 

[Cecile]

Thanks lamlyn I'll investigate cardboard bedding. I'm not sure if it available here.

Cecile do you have a hay gain steamer?

Fiona

There wasn't such a thing as a haygain steamer when we had the coughing WHP, I improvised at the time by inventing idea's for steaming
However I am about to invest in a haygain this week, I hope! Just need to convince OH - he is busy reading their science and technology pages as I type and sweating about the cost of it

 

[SusieT]

I'd not stable him - I'd keep him out somehow to avoid the problem. Once they've got the dust cough its nearly impossible to shift.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I find that Naff Respirator Boost is brilliant. It's the only supplement I've ever used that I know for certain is worth buying.

 

[Fiona]

Ventilation is key. I have had a horrid summer with 2 young horses picking up a very nasty virus that they have not quite shaken off yet. I have made some major changes to ventilation in the boxes by having a window in the back wall, made out of a frame and galebreak mesh,
http://www.galebreakeragri.com/siteenglish/products_uk/rollerscreen_uk.html

It can be bought on a roll and cut to size for the frame, most of the time I just leave the frame open so there is an air flow from front to back. The stable will be cold in winter but a rug and plenty of hay will keep the horse warm. I have changed onto pellets and find there is no ammonia smells at all, it is worth remembering it is not just dust and spores that irritate the airways.

It has a window towards the back of the side wall, not huge though... It's about 15" square but propped open. I wedged it wider this afternoon.

We normally use a mix of pellets and shavings, but I put this pony's bed down with the big flake shavings last week because I thought it would be more dust free..

I don't think it's very absorbent though and hubby said he got a whiff of ammonia this afternoon just after I mucked out, so I've put a bag of pellets underneath the shavings. .

I am hoping this helps

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

I'd not stable him - I'd keep him out somehow to avoid the problem. Once they've got the dust cough its nearly impossible to shift.

That's a last resort. ....

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

I find that Naff Respirator Boost is brilliant. It's the only supplement I've ever used that I know for certain is worth buying.

Using it already as I had some left from spring. And the global herbs dust X which I got more recently in anticipation of him coming in.....

Fiona

 

[WelshD]

when my pony went through a really dust sensitive stage we did various things to help, here are some of them

I used a long handled duster every day on the walls and eaves
rubber matting and a small-ish bed
full muck out every day, I used wood chippy bedding
never mucked out or even skipped out with the pony in the stable
let the dust settle for at least 20 minutes after mucking out before putting pony nack in the stable
I used shiny stable rugs as opposed to ones that held the dust
I washed rugs at least once a week
at one point I was hovering the corners of the stable!

 

[dominobrown]

One of my liveries use the equine america supplemet. Smells lovely.
Also start a war against cobwebs. Either get a witches broom and k ock them down when he out (so they have hours to settle before he comes in), or be a crazy person and use a henry hoover to take them down... my boyfriend does this in the new stables... they look good!

WelshD- obviously have the same thought process as you!

 

[Fiona]

Hubby will think I'm demented if I bring the Dyson outside lol...

It's lovely and clean at the moment as all washed out and painted over the summer but I'll bear hoovering and dusting in mind...

Fiona

 

[WelshD]

We bought a cheap £20 hoover from Argos, My husband refused to relinquish Henry to the stables

 

[Fiona]

We bought a cheap £20 hoover from Argos, My husband refused to relinquish Henry to the stables

Sounds like a plan... I'm sure it doesn't need to be too powerful to lift cobwebs. ..

Fiona

 

[GoldenWillow]

Could you use haylage instead of soaking hay? That's the advice I've always had with COPD/RAO problems as when the hay dries out the spores shrink again and are able to be inhaled.

 

[Wagtail]

The only bedding I have found to be dust free and stay dust free is chopped miscanthus. Pellets are dust free to begin with but end up the dustiest bedding I have ever known because it breaks down to a powder eventually.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

The only bedding I have found to be dust free and stay dust free is chopped miscanthus. Pellets are dust free to begin with but end up the dustiest bedding I have ever known because it breaks down to a powder eventually.

I use Easypack miscanthus and although it does not seem to affect my horse it does me. When I'm mucking out and especially when putting down a new bag it really catches the back of my throat makes me cough and anyone else in the vicinity so it's not just me. My week day person has considered wearing a mask! All miscanthus is not equal apparently

 

[Wagtail]

I use Easypack miscanthus and although it does not seem to affect my horse it does me. When I'm mucking out and especially when putting down a new bag it really catches the back of my throat makes me cough and anyone else in the vicinity so it's not just me. My week day person has considered wearing a mask! All miscanthus is not equal apparently

Mine doesn't do it after the initial 5 minutes though. I think it's due to a gas that's produced when the miscanthus is sealed. Most bales don't affect me at all (Burly bed), but the occasional one does. There's no dust though and it only does it for a few seconds. Once it's laid it is fine even when sifting through it. My mare used to cough on pellets but doesn't at all on miscanthus.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Re: the dust, you also need to make sure any adjoining areas such as stables are not full of dusty / spore holding material like straw and hay. Also feed hay from the floor so that it keeps his sinuses draining.

 

[jokadoka]

Mine had to go on to dust free shavings and so did his companion next door ( only a two stable setup at home ). Soaking and steaming hay made no difference so went on to haylage whch made a HUGE difference! Before mine developed his 'thing' he had been given his ( steamed) hay in a haybar for about three months which I am convinced of started of his problems, my theory being that the left over dust of the hay hadn't got anywhere to go but straight up his nostrils and down his windpipe. So I am now seriously anti any haybar type system. All of the above measures were implemented at the same time as vet treatment. It worked in the end but took quite some time and a lot of veterinary treatment.After that he was fine as long as the management was spot on.

 

[Cecile]

I use Easypack miscanthus and although it does not seem to affect my horse it does me. When I'm mucking out and especially when putting down a new bag it really catches the back of my throat makes me cough and anyone else in the vicinity so it's not just me. My week day person has considered wearing a mask! All miscanthus is not equal apparently

This happens with some brands of shavings but not all with me ^^
Some makes of shavings also make my lips burn and they go bright red, I do use shavings but I know which brands effect me now and which doesn't

 

[Fiona]

I'm going to buy a bag of horsehage to try as the haylage our supplier had in the spring was actually quite dry...

Who makes miscanthus bedding?

Vet saw him this morning to do his teeth, and says chest is completely clear Recommended Vicks on nostrils and airflow in stable so hubby is going to chop at tree near gable end window tomorrow

Thanks all, keep it coming

Fiona

 

[Sheep]

Have you tried chopped straw bedding from Cappers? It's treated with eucalyptus to stop them eating it. It is also quite cheap, 4.25 a bale if you buy in pallet quantity. I guess a fiver or so individually. The only thing is, it isn't as absorbent as shavings, I'm thinking of adding pellets to the base of my boy's bed to help with this (he pees at the edge of the bed so it drains forward a bit.. No issue with the mare's bed, she pees on the banks). Otherwise I'd say it's pretty good and low dust.

 

[meleeka]

I found an improvement with just drilling holes in the walls at the back of the stable, above horse height so no draughts. Agree with whoever said to make sure the area around the stables isn’t dusty or mouldy.

 

[spotty_pony]

I have one which is sensitive to dust - in particular from Straw. We have changed him onto Megazorb Bedding which is recommended for horses with respiratory conditions and am very impressed with it. If it gets a bit dry, I sprinkle it with water. Also, he no longer has any hay - just Horsehage or Haylage. I completely steam cleaned his stable this summer. I also dampen his feed to reduce dust and try to keep the amount of dust/scurf on his coat at a manageable level as he is sensitive to this too.

 

[Fiona]

I found an improvement with just drilling holes in the walls at the back of the stable, above horse height so no draughts. Agree with whoever said to make sure the area around the stables isn’t dusty or mouldy.

That sounds like an amazing idea, as the gable end window doesn't seem to have a huge amount of airflow through it...

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

I will Google megazorb...

Fiona