Nasty Cough

[Frances]

My Icelandic horse is 6 years old, 14.1hh and has a nasty cough that appears when he is exerting himself.

He has been off work for 2 weeks, segregated from the rest and been given an anti-inflammatory for a slight temperature and a course of sulphanamides.

The cough is less, but still there. He lives out all years round in a 45 acre field and it has been rather dry recently although it has started raining again.

He is very happy, alert, full of beans and fit.

Any ideas on what to give him or will the cough go on its own in time.

Many thanks.

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One of the horses at my barn was showing the same symptoms. It turns out she is allergic to dust. She's in her 20's and it just appeared. We keep her from working in really dusty rings and the key has been to put her hay in a bucket, fill it with water, flip the hay over in the bucket, let it soak for a few minutes, drain the water, then serve. It's amazing how brown the water is. As long as she has this wet hay her coughing it at a minimum (only a few coughs while warming up). This does add a few minutes to the feeding schedual, but it's worth it.
During the winter she doesn't get used much and there is snow and ice everywhere so we don't wet her hay.
Another method we use (when we're lazy or rushed) is Dengi-Hi-Fi. I's chopped hay in molasses. It's sold at our local feed store and it comes in bags (about the size of a shavings bag) one heaping small bucket (like 10" @ top) is equal to a flake of hay.
Try it out and hopefully it will work for you too!
Allie T