Bedding choices and hay treatments can reduce the risk of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses according to a new study from Belgium. Switching to wood or paper bedding and steaming hay rations can cut down on the levels of fungi in a horse’s environment, reducing the risk of IAD.
Adding to airway disease risks are air quality concerns. Optimal ventilation is critical to equine respiratory health. Erratic fall weather can disrupt air quality in barns.
Source: EQUUS, August 23, 2019. Link. The role of environmental dust in triggering respiratory disease is well documented, and one component of dust is fungi. Researchers identified management practices that can exacerbate or mitigate the effects of fungi on the horse’s respiratory system.
Horses harboring fungal elements were about twice as likely to develop IAD than were those who did not. Researchers believe their findings support the idea that aerosolized fungal elements play a role in the development of IAD just as they do with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).
Source: Cozy barns create equine respiratory risks, Animal Health Digest, January 11, 2016. Link.
INSIGHTS: Actionable ideas for veterinarians and their discussions with horse owners during farm visits and mare checkups in these last four to five months of gestation this fall.