not really a question.. just what would you do??

Question

Hey - right I have a 19 year old semi retired mare who suffers from COPD (broken wind) during the summer she lives out so has no probs with it at all as shes away from dust etc - but with the winter rapidly approaching Im between two minds whether to bring her in for the winter or not... even when I soak her hay and dampen her bedding she still gets quite congested and coughy. But the thoughts of leaving her out - even though shs quite hardy and shed be well rugged up and checked on breaks my heart - its like, which option is better - to leave her out which is better for her - or bring her in which is more so better for me as I wont be thinking of her out all night in the wind and rain (I live in Ireland!) What would you guys do in my predictament?
Honest answers please and thanks!
xx

I should prob have pointed out that even soaking her hay and dust free bedding isnt much use as our stables are all together - so the dust from the other horses bedding etc is going into her! Im at a livery yard so its unethical to expect the other liveries to change their bedding etc just to suit me

Answer 1

She will be fine left out. They are meant to be out not in. Just be sure she has protection from the elements AVAILABLE to her. Leave her an open stall or a run in shed so that if SHE chooses to go inside she can. Otherwise, there is not 1 thing wrong with her being out.

Thanks for asking and caring enough about your horse to listen to other's opinions.

Answer 2

I think you need to do what's best for your mare and you know what that is, but you have to think of yourself too. If it were me, as the mare is quite hardy, I would rug her up well and make sure she has enough to eat and leave her out. However, when the weather is very severe, I'd bring her in. It may only be for a couple of days or even a few hours. But it will make you feel better and with luck, will not make her breathing too bad. Don't forget to adjust her rugs if you do this.
I agree with you about the bedding though, it doesn't help if the boxes around you are using straw and unsoaked hay etc, but you can't do much about that.
Good luck and what a lucky horse to have an owner who cares, just remember, they are tougher than us when it comes to the weather!

Answer 3

Change your bedding first to either peat (cheaper to deep litter), paper or rubber chips then you have minimal dust compared to damping down the bedding. Switch from hay to Propack or HorseHage which also eliminates dust and then talk to the vet about putting her on daily Ventopulmin. Try those methods for the rest of the summer and see how she gets on. You could also use those measures while she is in at night and just turn her out during the day. The main thing is to reduce dust and also get those pipes open a bit which the Ventopulmin or any other bronchodilator should do.
We frequently have broodmares which have COPD and this is how we manage the problem because you cannot cure it, just reduce factors which make it worse.

Answer 4

I personally would leave her out. As long as she is well rugged up and has a field shelter/ tree to shelter away from the wind/rain she should be fine. Make sure she has some company and check her rugs at least twice a day. If they are damp, remove them and replace with dry ones. Make sure she has enough food available to her as well. For really harsh nights, you could try stabling her on rubber matting or cardboard shreds, which are dust free alternatives to straw and shavings. Keep an eye on her, and if she starts losing weight or condition bring her in. Good luck for the winter months and beyond.

Answer 5

I had a mare like that. I blanketed her and made sure she was dry. I tried not to bring her into an enclosed place. She was better off out in the open. I gave her away to a woman who wanted to learn about horses with the specific instructions of never keeping her in a barn. She is still doing very well with them. This mare is about 24. Is there any way you could build a run in shed with only three sides and a roof? That's what I had for her and that is what her new owner has. I also used a cream that went into her nose like a child's vicks vapor rub. It would open up her breathing. Good luck.

Answer 6

if she is used to this and has been this way for years then it may do more harm than good to change her routine,horses are extremely hardy and she has proved this over the years,just make sure she has some type of shelter to get out of the wind and rain even a three sided shed will work,and keep her nice warm rug on and she will be fine,i live in a climate where it is extremely cold in the winter with tons of snow,sleet and rain all winter,my horses have total run of thier pasture all winter,they have a run in to go in and all are blanketed on bad days otherwise they dont get blankets on,i have never had a problem,my neighbor on the other hand bundles her horses up like eskimos every winter day when outside,brings them in,keeps them confined on bad days and will never ever let hers out without the proper winter attire even on sunny days,my horses never have once become ill with even a sniffle her's on the other hand cost her money with the vet each year because they get sick every winter,i dont know why but i think it is because she OVER cares for them,just keep doing what you are doing with your mare,and stop the worry by what you say she seems to be fine so far

Answer 7

Here is one more leave-her-out answer. I had a mare that was like this for 28 years. Unless she was shivering and miserable, she stayed out. You can spray down the adjacent areas to her stall with water whenever she comes in, to help settle the dust. As soon as the rain stops, get her back out, though.
I bought a very pricey waterpoof rug, with a tail cover and a piece that came up her neck to her ears. It was the best money I ever spent on her - helped lots more than all the supplements and medicines I ever tried.

Answer 8

I feel your pain -- I always wanted my horse INDOORS during bad weather! But in her case, clearly leaving her outside is best. AS LONG AS SHE HAS SOME SHELTER. Can you build her a run-in shed? She will need something to protect her from the coldest wind.

I've read several articles that say horses are comfortable in temperatures down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (or lower!) -- even WITHOUT blankets. She will be fine -- it's YOU that will be a wreck!

ALL the articles I read about keeping horses outside in winter mention that they will need GOOD QUALITY food and plenty of it -- along with unfrozen water, of course.

Good luck.

Answer 9

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is usually enhanced when horses are kept indoors. Keeping her outside is your best bet. Along with soaking her hay in a big bucket of water before feeding it to her. Usually, the way it is easiest to do it is to soak the evening's hay from the morning until you feed it, and then set up for the morning's hay to soak overnight.

This helps keep dust, spores, and loose particles down to a minimum to aide in helping a COPD horse to breath. COPD is more like "heaves" or asthma. There are medications can the horse can be put on - from inhalers to syrups. There are inhalers forms of clenbuterol and albuterol and Ventipulmin syrup is the most common medication to help with COPD. It is expensive, and needs to be used along with other maintenece techniques for best results - allowing the horse to have as dust-free of an environment and food as possibe is the best.


I used to board my horses all in stalls all the time, and now, they are pasture kept - it takes some getting used to for the owner, but the horses deal with it just lovely. As long as she has a 3 sided, south-facing shelter with a solid roof, and possibly trees or some other form of shade & shelter, she will do just fine outside all winter.

Answer 10

Hi, firstly you say that your horse's breathing is better out of doors, so I would say leave her outside, especially as she will be covered over. You don't say whether her field is low down or high up to get natural shelter? Could you do a nightly assesssment of the weather, so if the night is cold but dry or just drizzly rain, then leave her out, but if heavy rain is predicted, then maybe take her in. Animals are very hardy, I think if she could be asked she would prefer to stay out, wrapped up and breathing easier. Maybe you could ask your vet for advice, or other horse owners in the area what they do?
Hope this helps! :)

Answer 11

I think you have to be honest with yourself, it is far better for your mare to be out and breath with ease, and feel comfortable in herself, i know were your coming from about feeling bad about her beaning left out my mare is 22 this year, and what i do is leave her out until the weather is really bad then bring her in at night for say Half of December January and February then as it starts to get better put her out again of a night, she like yours coughs, when she is in i steam her hay and have put her on dust free shavings, which help her last winter. I am pleased with how she looks this summer and she wintered really well with me doing this.