Horse > Winter Coughs - Not A Good Wheeze!

Winter Coughs - Not A Good Wheeze!

by: Mark Andrews

It's not just horseback riders that cough and wheeze at this time of year. Respiratory problems are common in horses as well. Loss of performance may be the first sign that something is wrong. Mildly affected animals may cough occasionally when eating or when starting work. As the condition gets worse they may cough almost continuously.

Why is coughing such a problem in the winter? We need look no further than the changes in management that accompany the colder weather. Horses spend more time inside, often stabled in close proximity to their companions, giving any infection the opportunity to spread. They are exposed to irritants and allergens in the hay and bedding.

Recurrent airway obstruction (also known as COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is the horse equivalent of human asthma . It is an allergic condition, in which the horse reacts to small particles in the air. Chief among the culprits are fungal spores from the hay. This is a problem that seems to be becoming more common - probably due to the lack of good hay for horses.

We seem to have lost the ability to make good hay. Much of the hay fed to horses is dusty, and liberally sprinkled with fungal spores. Under poor storage conditions toxins such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) can accumulate. These can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Dust from the bedding may make the problem worse. It's important to keep the bed clean and dry. Replacing dusty straw with clean shavings may be a good idea. But if the shavings are allowed to build up into a soggy deep litter bed the ammonia and endotoxins may cause more irritation than the straw ever did, and may make matters worse.

When assessing the air quality in a stable, remember that the horse spends much of his time with his nose close to the ground. The air you breathe in the middle of the stable may be completely different from the air the horse breathes when he's sniffing around the floor or eating his hay.

It can be difficult to differentiate between infectious or environmental causes of coughing. What can be done to investigate the problem? The vet will observe your horse breathing and listen to the chest with a stethoscope. (This is not the time to talk to him or her!)

Respiratory infections may also be involved - in particular, viruses such as influenza, and equine herpes virus. If an infectious disease is suspected, swabs can be taken from the nose to try to identify the organism responsible. Blood samples may contain antibodies to the offending virus.

In persistent cases it may be necessary to collect a sample of fluid from the airways. This is usually done using a flexible endoscope.

Although medicines can be used to help clear the horse's chest and reduce the inflammation, the most important factor in treatment is allowing the horse to breathe clean fresh air.

So how can you prevent your winter schedule being disrupted by coughing? First of all, avoid feeding poor quality hay. Soaking it may help. The water damps down the dust and makes the spores swell. But it also washes the water-soluble nutrients out of the hay and so reduces the feeding value. (If there is any doubt about the hygienic quality of the hay, your veterinary surgeon or feed merchant may be able to have a sample tested to see if it is safe to feed.) Consider feeding haylage instead.

Let your horse have as much fresh air as possible. Turn out as much as the weather conditions allow. Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the stable or barn. Avoid the temptation to close the stable up, even in the coldest weather. Keep the bed as dust-free, and as clean, as possible. Do not muck out the stable with your horse in it. Give the bedding time to settle - preferably an hour or more - before bringing the horse back inside.

Give your horse clean air to breathe, and hopefully you will both enjoy a cough-free winter.

About The Author

Copyright 2005-06 by Mark Andrews / Equine Science Update. This article may be freely used by newsletters and web sites without permission as long as the copyright notice, links and contact information remain unchanged. Mark Andrews, an experienced equine veterinarian, is author of The Foaling Guide, (www.thefoalingguide.com) and publisher of Equine Science Update. For the latest information in equine science, subscribe to the free newsletter from Equine Science Update. (www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk)

Insurance And Ethics

Insurance And Ethics

by: Joseph Kenny

Insurance contracts are often seen as a form of gambling. That is because they appear as a type of wager that takes place over the lifetime of the policy. Basically the insurance company is willing to bet that you and your property will not suffer the loss insured against. In exchange for making this bet, and taking on the risk, the receive your premium. If they win the bet, they keep the premium, if they lose, they make the payout. In this sense, they are often compared to a type of long term financial casino.

The difference between your premium amount, and the amount the insurance company will have to pay out if the loss occurs, is simply the odds the insurance company is getting for taking on the bet. It?s just like going to the horse races and betting on a horse that pays out 10 to 1.

This view of insurance has led to a number of people and religious communities disapproving of insurance because...

Insurance And Ethics

Horse > Insurance And Ethics

The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing

The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing

by: Toby Beavers

The sport of Steeplechase racing dates back to 1752 in Ireland when two, half-crocked, friends settled the argument over who owned the best horse by racing to the nearest Church steeple after returning from Fox hunting. The winner actually rode right through the church where the vicar was holding a solemn funeral. Soon steeplechase racing spread to England, where in 1792, the first recorded race was held. This sport then crossed over from the Atlantic to the US, where it has became very popular.

In the early 19th century nine prominent men from New York - August Belmont, H. DeCourcy Forbes, Samuel S. Howland, James O. Green, Frederick Gebhard, A.J. Cassatt, Foxhall P. Keene, John G. Follansbee and Frederick H. Prince founded the National Association for Steeplechase. When it was first founded, its mission was to make the sport popular in the US and help it grow across the Atlantic. For...

The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing

Horse > The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing

Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

by: Stefan Driess

ScootAbike is set to become the must have present for UK children this Christmas

Scootabike is set to become the must have present for UK children this Christmas. Already popular with European parents leading wooden toy company Wooden Choice Limited (http://www.woodenchoice.co.uk) are launching Scootabike to the UK.

ScootAbike is the perfect early introduction to cycling. At first, your child will use it like a hobby horse, at least one foot firmly on the ground. As confidence develops, they'll begin to lift both feet, scooting forward and balancing, maybe dabbing a foot to the floor occasionally if the bike tips. Soon, they'll also be having a whale of a time, not least because this is no heavy, unresponsive child's bike; it weighs just 3.5kg.

As your child grows, the saddle can be adjusted for height. The three settings...

Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

Horse > Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

Successful Network Marketing Requires Effective Team Leadership

Successful Network Marketing Requires Effective Team Leadership

by: Kirk Bannerman

Many people who work at home participate in businesses that

involve teamwork and network marketing.

I am often contacted by members of my business team with

complaints regarding a lack of response or lack of action on the

part of their affiliates.
Their complaints typically go

something like..."I send out lots of emails to all of them and I

very rarely get any response and it seems like very few of them

are taking any action.
What am I doing wrong?".

There are many types of internet-based home businesses where

feedback and interaction are quite important and getting an

affiliate or business team member to communicate with you is a

definite objective.
It's not at all surprising that this can be

a challenge when you stop to think that what you are trying to do

is initiate a dialog between...

Successful Network Marketing Requires Effective Team Leadership

Horse > Successful Network Marketing Requires Effective Team Leadership

80/20 Guide to Chinese Pronunciation -- Part 1

80/20 Guide to Chinese Pronunciation -- Part 1

by: Kah Joon Liow

?Just give me the basics!?

That?s what this Chinese pronunciation guide is all about.

It?s all that you need to know Chinese pronunciation to get by.

The 80% that?s important.

To speak Mandarin, the first thing to learn is Chinese pronunciation of words using the system known as pinyin.

Pinyin is the Romanized Chinese phonetic system and is the most effective aid to learning Mandarin today.

(Romanized means using English alphabets.)

Pinyin was invented in the 1950?s so that anyone, especially English speaking people, could learn Chinese pronunciation easily.

Most of the letters in pinyin have the same sounds as letters of the alphabet ? with only a few exceptions.

It?s really a very practical pronunciation system.

Can you imagine an English speaker trying to pronounce Chinese characters without pinyin?

(By the way, pinyin...

80/20 Guide to Chinese Pronunciation -- Part 1

Horse > 80/20 Guide to Chinese Pronunciation -- Part 1

All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs

by: Maricon Williams

Motorcycle spark plugs have already caused several misfires. It can also tend to break into two when you try to remove them. These are instances when you are wasting money over low quality and non-durable spark plugs.

There has been a lot of puffing going out in the motorcycle market. Some are talking about horse power advantages. Nonetheless, be cautious of what you believe in, chances are they are just flowery words thus, misleading.

In order to avoid this, we have to bear in mind some pointers about this motorcycle parts.

First, always go with the motorcycle parts manufacturer?s recommendations. That way, you can never go wrong.

Second, if you have qualms over the parts, call the manufacturer to save you from further trouble. Do not experiment with parts, especially if you have little knowledge about them. They can go wrong in just a flick of the finger...

All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs

Horse > All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs

Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

by: Stefan Driess

ScootAbike is set to become the must have present for UK children this Christmas

As your child grows, the saddle can be adjusted for height. The three settings...

Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

Horse > Scootabike - Number one in Wooden Toys

Dirt Bike Parts

Dirt Bike Parts

by: Andrew Green

Many advocates of dirt biking will tell you that half the fun of dirt biking is buying a slightly clapped out old 250 and doing it up with new and second hand dirt bike parts until you?ve got as much performance and speed out of it as possible. Obviously, the nature of the dirt biking beast is that you will suffer damage to your bike. A Motocross hurtling 30ft in the air and then crashing back down to earth will cause damage to most bikes. The advantage of dirt biking is that the vehicles themselves are quite simple and you can pick up good parts for little money.

Be safe.

As with any bike, you should always be careful when buying anything that you intend to trust with your life. Of course not all parts for your bike need to be about performance and the look of your pride and joy will probably be just as important to you as the performance.

Be frugal.

The parts for your dirt bike don?t need...

Dirt Bike Parts

Horse > Dirt Bike Parts

Sleeping Bag Ratings - A New Idea

by: Steve Gillman

It seems that sleeping bag ratings have no consistency. Temperature ratings are still determined entirely by the manufacturers of the bags. My 3-pound Sierra Designs bag, for example, was rated to 20 degrees. Honestly, it never kept me as warm as my 17-ounce Western Mountaineering sleeping bag, which is only rated down to 40 degrees. Isn't this a problem when you buy a bag? Maybe a 45-degree bag will keep you...

bean bag chairs

Horse > Sleeping Bag Ratings - A New Idea

Winter Coughs - Not A Good Wheeze! Horse

The Naming Game

by: Jack Russell

If ?fashionistas? are obsessed with brand names, dog lovers are hooked on dog breeds. This is because purebred dogs are expensive and belong to the high-level of this particular species.

Generally, dog breeds were incorporated to give distinctive characteristics to certain classifications, thus, resulting to a substantial number of varieties.

However, people who breed dogs often find it hard to detect the specific...

Winter Coughs - Not A Good Wheeze!

Horse > The Naming Game

Acne Treatment Tips

by: MD Stracener

Acne is a broad term which includes blemishes, blackheads, and whiteheads. Acne can strike at any age. Effective acne treatments are sometimes difficult to find, and understanding acne and prevention can be frustrating. Here are some acne treatment tips that have worked for many.

Although acne isn?t life threatening it can be uncomfortable and hard on your ego. There has always been a debate about the actual cause...

Winter Coughs - Not A Good Wheeze! Acne Treatment Tips

Horse > Acne Treatment Tips

How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes

by: Ian Smith

Golf Shoes are a very important part of your success as a golfer, we all spend hours choosing clubs, and five minutes choosing Golf Shoes.

This is just crazy when you consider you will walk somewhere over 4 miles every time you play, and you?ll be on your feet for anything from 3 to 5 hours. Like me you probably haven?t given much thought to the part that golf shoes play in reducing your handicap....

Winter Coughs - Not A Good Wheeze! shoes Horse How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes

Horse > How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes