When the winds are up and temperatures drop we want our horses to be comfortable and protected. Nestling into a cozy stable may seem like a good solution but there are health risks lurking in a tightly closed up barn.

That cozy barn may not be best for lung health.

Horses actually breathe easier in cold, dry air. However, this winter advantage is lost when horses are confined to a poorly ventilated barn where humidity and particulate matter in the air is high.

A variety of airborne substances have been implicated in causing lung irritation. Ammonia from bacterial breakdown of urea in urine is a well documented lung irritant in a variety of species. "Organic dust" is also an offender. This includes microscopic particulate matter from mites, plant material (e.g. beta-glucans), feces, bacteria and their products (endotoxin) and fungal spores.

Keeping stalls clean and the building well ventilated are the first steps in reducing exposure. Using wood chips or synthetic bedding (e.g. paper based) reduces plant and fungal matter but must be used in all the stalls. Horses are also exposed when hay or straw are stored in the same building, even in a loft. Horses with signs of respiratory tract irritation should have their hay and bucket fed meals thoroughly wet down. Always strive to remove horses from the barn when stalls are being cleaned and aisles swept.

Read more: Air Quality in the Barn - That Cozy Barn May Not Be Best for Lung Health

Waiting until the wildfire approaches dangerously close is no time to draw up a disaster preparedness plan.  Learning the hazards of storing hay is too late after the barn is reduced to ashes and all is lost.  It is not a scenario that one fathoms will ever happen to them, until it does. 

Returning expert guest speaker Rebecca Gimenez-Husted will be available all week to provide insight and answer all your burning questions.  Gimenez has travelled the world providing training in Technical Large Animal Rescue Techniques (TLAER website) and has published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on the topic.  Rebecca edited the only textbook available to the fire service and veterinarians on technical rescue of large animals.

As a volunteer firefighter in Gray, GA, Rebecca is doing R&D work with University of Edinburgh (UK), EKU (KY) and several veterinary schools.  A past Logistics Officer for FEMA’s Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), decorated combat veteran and a Major in the US Army Reserves (retired); Rebecca offers a wealth of information and is active in various organizations related to disaster preparedness. 

Read more: Practice Preparedness and Prevention - Resources on Barn Fire Prevention