Take a breath
Follow H&R’s 10 top tips to keeping your horse’s respiratory system as healthy as can be this winter
Photos: John Aron, Bob Atkins, Jon Stroud
The changing seasons bring a host of new challenges, and respiratory care is certainly one of them. From feeding and supplements to stabling and workload, all sorts of aspects of your horse’s management can affect his respiratory health. Luckily, there are lots of ways to really get to grips with looking after your horse’s airways. Get the lowdown with our 10 steps for success.
1 A stable environment
The best place to start when it comes to promoting a healthy respiratory system is with ventilation. Horses, especially those with extra respiratory needs, benefit from increased turnout, where moving around and the constant stream of fresh air put less strain on their airways. However, if your horse needs to be stabled, keeping windows and doors open where possible and sticking to outdoor blocks rather than stables within a barn can help to maximise airflow, which often makes a big difference.