Coughing can be due to a virus or, more rarely, a bacterial infection. But if a horse only develops an irritating cough when he is stabled, the cause is almost always an allergy to dust and spores. Roger Lee MRCVS offers some helpful advice to avoid winter coughing in horses.

One easy way to cure the problem of winter coughing is to leave your horse outside 24/7. With a waterproof rug, field shelter and plenty of feed, even horses in full work can winter outside very well if the ground is suitable.

However, if leaving your horse out is impractical, the next best way to tackle equine asthma is to improve air quality.

Ammonia from urine-soaked bedding is irritant to the lungs. Keep the bed clean and dig out wet patches daily. If you are using rubber mats, make sure that there is plenty of bedding on top of them, and that urine is not building up underneath. Also tie your horse outside when mucking out or sweeping.

Simply having the top stable door open is not sufficient — there needs to be a through flow of air, so open wide any windows at the back. If there isn’t a window, see if you can safely remove some boards to create one. If you are worried about draughts, put an extra rug on your horse. If your horse is in a barn, give him a stable near the entrance where the air quality is best. A simple test of air quality is to stand at the back of the stable and take several deep breaths. If the air smells stale and dusty, it is not going to be good for your horse’s lungs.

4. Feeding regimes to reduce dust

Feed dampened hay or haylage; forage is the single biggest source of dust and spores in the stable. Feed from the floor as this creates four times less inhaled dust than a hay net. Hay steamers are very good at eliminating dust and spores.

Bed your horse on dust-free shavings, paper or another 
low-dust alternative to straw. There is no point having one horse on shavings and soaked hay if every other horse around it is on straw, or if the yard’s hay supply is stored right outside its stable.

You might also be interested in:

5 weather-related skin conditions to watch out for with your horse Make sure you’re aware of these five weather-releated problems so you can help keep your horse happy and healthy this Credit: Alamy Stock Photo 6 common hoof problems to keep an eye out for Could you spot all six of these common hoof problems? Credit: . *Summer savings* 10% extra discount on Horse & Hound with SUMMER10

Make sure you’re aware of these five weather-releated problems so you can help keep your horse happy and healthy this

Could you spot all six of these common hoof problems?

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.