You’ve read plenty of articles that discuss how to support horse’s breathing, such as “7 Supplements to support a horse’s breathing”. But now that the temperatures are frigid, you may be faced with the winter barn cough again.
The scenario:
It’s very cold and a bright clear day. It looks like a perfect day to turn the horses out. The air is crisp and almost hurts to breathe.
The horses have a great time running around and cavorting in the snow. They have a playfulness that just warms your heart.
You check on the horses for evening feeding and all the horses appear to be fine.
Fast forward a day: You’ve noticed that one of your horses is having a difficult time breathing. You scratch your head because he was fine just yesterday.
What gives?
◆︎ Airway constriction:
Cold air can cause airway constriction in horses, just like in people. Unlike people, who may experience almost immediate effects from the cold air, horse’s reaction is delayed about a day.
An old landmark study showed that inhaling sub-freezing air was associated with bronchoconstriction 24 and 48 hours after sub-maximal exercise. They didn’t measure further out in time to see when the bronchial resistance subsided.
◆︎ What’s the mechanism?
The airway constriction caused by cold air can be thought of as being similar to human asthma. It does have differences, such as a delayed reaction of about a day, and the location of the constriction is the lower airway smooth muscles instead of the hard cartilaginous rings.
◆︎ Why do we care?
The airway constriction is associated with increased inflammatory markers over time. This can become problematic for horses that exercise regularly in the freezing temperatures.
This can also be compounded with winter allergens, such as barn and dusty hay.
We care because our goal is to avert chronic lung damage, which can be notoriously difficult to control.
◆︎ What can we do about it?
The goal is to maintain as healthy of an airway system as we can. Specific steps that we can take include:
➡ Reduce barn dust, molds and particles the best we can.
➡ Reduce hay dust by soaking, steaming, or dampening the hay.
➡ Have low dust bedding when possible.
➡ Be cautious when exercising in subfreezing weather. Schedule your horse's work for the warmest part of the day, if possible.
➡ Treat any underlying disease that your horse may have, such as infections, pneumonia, or filariasis.
➡ Use dietary supplements to support your horse with breathing issues:
»» MSM
»» Spirulina
»» Mov-Ease
»» Jiaogulan
We do the best that we can for our horses. In the bitter cold winter weather, lung health is a part of that.
Do you have a special photo or story that you’d like to share? Email to sales@mybesthorse.com
Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2025